On: Study finds 90% of Australian teachers can't affor...

[sdwr]

Value is instant - a dollar in the hand.

Meaning is delayed - shaping thr future.

Choosing meaning over value is an investment.

[elbigbad → sdwr]

This is unnecessarily reductive, but it probably sounded good in your head or if someone only considers it for a few seconds before thinking about it.

Of course meaning can be instant, and value can be delayed.

[sdwr → elbigbad]

Open your brain-hole for a second.

The parent comment mentioned the disalignment of value and meaning. The now - later time axis is a clear explanation for part-to-most of that disalignment.

Think of prestige jobs that pay less, or unpaid internships. People aren't eager to do those out of the goodness of their hearts - they are trying to bank social capital or experience that will pay off in the future.

Now think of teachers. They are paid less than other jobs for the same qualifications. Why? Part of their salary is paid in meaning, the chance to influence the future through impressionable minds.

How about meaning in terms of artistic messages, religious teachings, or instant epiphanies? Those are the crystallization / compression of wisdom learned over long periods of time.

[jemmyw → sdwr]

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. A dollar in your hand now can be invested giving you enough money in the future to find personal meaning.