What makes you value someone as a person?

[purposefulinsanity]

I like them being themselves.

Excellent post Kevv, +1

[hiroshima]

A human newborn has more value than a newborn of any other species because of his POTENTIAL to develop greater traits and intelligence as he grows.  A calf and a human newborn just can't be compared due to the enormous potential the human baby holds, in contrast to a calf who has no hope to become anything but a cow.  So killing a human newborn, in my view, is much graver than killing, say, a kitten.

As a baseline, I value everyone simply for being human and existing.  Even evil or vegetative people, I value.

However, there is a deeper realm of appreciation that I reach, and this I cannot define concretely.  All I know is that when I encounter such an individual, whom I value, something "wakes up" in me and I suddenly feel like I am in communion with that person, regardless of the extent of our contact, and I feel deep respect for him, and I feel content to know that this person exists.

Contrariwise (to quote Tweedledee), when I encounter people whom I don't value in this sense, I remain flatlined, and no "extra" reaction is triggered within me.

[McGiver]

A calf and a human newborn just can't be compared due to the enormous potential the human baby holds, in contrast to a calf who has no hope to become anything but a cow.

a calf might not even grow up at all.  it may have the potential to become veal.



and to its owner (breeder, slaughterhouse attendent, etc)  the baby cow (calf) has loads of value.

[drewtheyellow]

A calf and a human newborn just can't be compared due to the enormous potential the human baby holds, in contrast to a calf who has no hope to become anything but a cow.

a calf might not even grow up at all.  it may have the potential to become veal.



and to its owner (breeder, slaughterhouse attendent, etc)  the baby cow (calf) has loads of value.

Which is why I think that the best measure of value is use and future use, of course accounting for the costs and opportunity costs involved with that use and future use. I mean, if one hates all babies then neither is of any value. If one is concerned more about money than on human life then one might pick the calf as child labor laws, anti-slavery laws, and anti-cannibalism laws are a bitch. Finally, if one has the goals of promoting human life or has a desire for a child for their purposes, then they will pick the human child.

[McGiver]

i knew that.

though the calf example still doesn't work since your question was about people.

[drewtheyellow]

i knew that.

though the calf example still doesn't work since your question was about people.

Talking to me?? Well, I was just stating a similarity between your concept that some individuals value a calf a lot to mine on the value of a calf might be greater to some than the value of a human child. It just is stating that to some people calves are more valuable than people and vice-versa.

[McGiver]

i see.

[Idiot]

I value a lot of people based on stereotypes.  For example, when I see the letter "D" next to a politician's name, I automatically have good feelings towards that politician.  Similarly, if a person tells me how funny I am, I also have good feelings about them, even though they may be the worst person in the world.  Conversely, there are some people who don't like my sense of humor, but who are probably considered paragons of humanity.  And my perceptions of who is valuable and who is not are always shifting.

[McGiver]

I value a lot of people based on stereotypes.  For example, when I see the letter "D" next to a politician's name, I automatically have good feelings towards that politician.  Similarly, if a person tells me how funny I am, I also have good feelings about them, even though they may be the worst person in the world.  Conversely, there are some people who don't like my sense of humor, but who are probably considered paragons of humanity.  And my perceptions of who is valuable and who is not are always shifting.

how funny.  you made me lol.  you are hilarious.

[Nomaken]

I can't think of any simple central thing which makes me value a person.

I like mature people.
I like child-like people.
I like open-minded people.
I like honest people.
I like curious people.
I like kind, friendly, and compassionate people.
I like people with an eclectic sense of humor.
I like people who prefer to give people the benefit of the doubt.
I like pragmatic people.
I like fair people.
I like people who march to the beat of their own drumer.
I like people who don't take life too seriously.
I like people who aren't afraid to indulge in their emotions.
I like humble people.

That's all I can think of right now.

[McGiver]

you like me.

though i am not humble.

[QuirkyCarla]

i was thinking most if not all of those qualities sound like me

[ozymandias]

Trust, Honesty, Integrity, not playing "games" type, patience, understanding, reliability (can I count on them), calmness, sense of humor, stength.