I've always found the saying "Every man has his price" to be quite interesting. I guess it's the idea that you will always be able to convince someone to do something (or sell something) if you can offer them something they value even more than the thing you are trying to get off them. It is an assumption that there is always something better than what you have at the moment, that everyone has a potential point where they could not resist an offer. Interesting isnt it. I think for the most part, there's a fair amount of truth in that.  However, does this then mean that nobody is truely satisfied with their current status?

I think that often times money is a good tangible indicator of people's inner motives, priorities and values etc. what they consider to be important.
"Put your money where your mouth is" is another popular saying. That's where you can really tell if a person is fair dinkum!  It's interesting that Jesus Christ challenged a self righteous religious leader to give all his riches to the poor.  I dont think it was so much that his money itself was evil, but that it reflected this man's heart and desires.

People's personalities can be determined by their set of values, and i dont just mean 'morals', (though that is part of it) but what they 'value' in general. It is interesting that we like to ask each other what their favourite 'such-and-such' is... isnt it! I think it's cos things like that define us as individuals. Every single person shows slight partiality to different things. It's an integral part of the ability to think that we, in many ways subconciously, assign everything into our own personal value system, then base our actions upon this.  Obviously, sometimes our actions are not fully thought through, and are based on impulsive things that we value immediately, rather than long-term value.

So what is it that makes something valuable, both on a personal level, and in a society? Is it just supply and demand?  What creates demand?  Is it purely need? Not always...

A major part of marketing and advertising is to give a product a maximum perceived value.  This may be communicated to us through one or more of all 5 senses - with persuasive words, pictures, music etc - creating an exciting or enticing atmosphere - and it may be communicated to us by influential, popular personalities etc. - creating some sort of aura. By one way or another, the idea is to make a particular product seem so valuable to my life that I want to buy it - whether I really need it or not.

So, in a way, it is then possible for a thing to have a 'false' value - that is, it seems more valuable than it actually is.  However, if something 'seems' valuable, then in one sense it automatically IS valuable as the supposed value is taken on by the mind of the individual as an actual value.  This then translates to tangible value when the product is bought, again based upon the initial thought.  Of course, after the product is purchased, the estimation of value may change! 

Some things are more valuable to me than they are to you, and vicaversa.  What makes someone's opinion of value more valid than someone else's?  Value is relative and unstable.  It can be manipulated with clever marketing.  It can fluctuate as in the stock exchange. Fads and fashions come and go, and so do moods and desires.

Is it possible to be truly satisfied?  Is there anything that holds its value indefinitely?  My belief is that God, the creator of all things is the source of all value, and remains the same yesterday, today and forever.  If we are really serious about our desire for God, our actions will be based on how much we value Him.  The good thing however, is that His value of us is not based on our poor efforts to please Him, but on the perfect life of His Son.