A non-earned prize is not worth it
What if I won two free plane tickets? Where would I go?
Let’s immediately answer the question. I do not like getting things I did not work hard for. So, if I received these two tickets. I would feel a clear, neat, and deep sense of unease. This trip, this extravagant prize, it doesn’t quite sit right.
THE UNEARNED JOURNEY
We, as humans, are wired to value what we earn. We take pride in accomplishments, big or small. It’s the satisfaction of a job well done, the thrill of conquering a challenge, the joy of saving for something we truly desire.
Free plane tickets, however enticing, lack that crucial element, in my understanding. They represent an UNEARNED EXPERIENCE, a temporary high without the foundation of effort.
Think of it like this: would you devour a gourmet meal cooked by someone else with the same gusto as a simple dish you meticulously prepared yourself? The act of creation, the investment of time and skill, adds a layer of appreciation that pure consumption often lacks.
This isn’t to say travel is inherently bad.
But this free travel, in this case, feels like skipping chapters in the adventure book of life. The commitment to work hard on something, the grit to continue when it is hard, and the effort to…
