Value is a story

People do lots of things that (on the surface) make no sense.

Buying modern art. Mowing your lawn. Paying extra for the exposé of opulence.

That's because surface level assumptions rarely encompass the stories people tell themselves about these trade-offs.

Behind every action (even absurd ones) is a value exchange. The content of this transaction. The idea that you can trade things--time, money, attention--for other things that appear to be worth more than they cost.

Status, prestige, the idea that we're in sync--these are only as real as we make them. But by taking part in the value exchange, we can at least tell ourselves that they are.