In Search of Valuable Goods

Last Sunday, I watched a National Geographic presentation on TV about diamonds, “Diamonds of War” to be exact. It happened that diamonds were used as commodity to fund war in some African countries, such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Democratic Republic of Congo. The program basically contained in-depth investigation about “diamond business”, since it was mined in Sierra Leone to the diamond shops at Antwerp. Aside from the interesting topic and good presentation, there’s one thing that amused me, the words coming from one of the sources. He said, “Why does a piece of pebbles means so much.” And it strikes me. Why? Why does it mean so much? Why are people willing to kill others to get it? Why do people risk their life in search of it? And the main question is: What makes something valuable?

Is it the scarcity? Probably. It happens that for 70 pounds of soil being dug, one could only get one pound of diamonds. It shows that diamonds are difficult to find, which is probably why it’s so valuable. On the other hand, water is very valuable for people living in the desert (or Gunung Kidul, if I want to choose a place nearer from home :>) because water is hard to find there. Or in another case, Asian people who were used to having rice as main course would appreciate how valuable rice was when they stayed for some time in Europe.

Or is it because its’ usefulness? That’s possible. Fossil fuel would be a perfect example. Explorations are performed in all parts of the world, from the depth of the forest to the depth of the sea, in order to find the black gold and its counter part. Since the emergence of Industrial Revolution in the 19^th century, fossil fuel has become the main energy source (actually, it’s the sun; but you know what I’m talking about :>). Motor vehicles, electricity for homes and industries, just name it. The majority of them would collapse without the supply of fossil fuel. In that sense, fossil fuel could be categorized as one of the most valuable commodity.

Or is it the social consensus that tells us whether something is valuable or not? Maybe. Money, for example. Money is simply a piece of printed paper (or coin, yeah, whatever). It’s published by the National Bank. Fine. The government declares that it can be used as a means of exchange. Whatever. The point is, everyone believe that it’s valuable because the authority says so; although it’s only a piece of paper. Money is valuable due to social consensus, because everyone agree that it’s valuable.

To sum it all up, there’s one thing that determines one valuable or not. OUR IDEA ABOUT IT. Where do we get the “idea”? Sometimes, it just comes naturally. But most of the times, we learn from our surrounding (society); we learn what’s valuable and what’s not. Still confused? Imagine yourself as Robinson Crusoe, or Tarzan, or whoever you wish to be; just imagine yourself as someone who lived in a remote place far away from the “modern” world. You lived a simple life, needed nothing more than food, clothing, and shelter. Then, one day you saw a piece of gold for the first time. How would you react? Amazed, maybe. But would you suddenly come to a realization that it’s valuable? I don’t think so. Now you’ll probably get the idea what “idea” is (:>).

It’s ironic how people kill others only for the sake of diamonds (such in the case of “Diamonds of War”) or destroy mother nature in search of some piece of metal (Indonesia, sadly, has been a witness of that occurrence). Seriously, some people need to set their priorities right!

Author’s Note: Thanks to Rizki Chrisnadia and Lucy Indriani for the inspiration. Cheers!