Life is priceless

We hear the phrase "Life is priceless" bandied around all the time. Yet, is it true?

Life is precious no doubt, especially our own. Yet my life is not priceless. If the sacrifice of my life could save all humanity, I would not hesitate to make that sacrifice. Now, I admit that it is not likely that I will be called upon to save the world from Armageddon. So let's put the bar slightly lower; I would be willing to give my life to save my whole family.

Now you are going to criticize me and say: "You are sacrificing your life to save another, so life is still priceless". All right. Let me toss away all lofty talk.

To be frank, every day we choose convenience over life. Millions of people die in car accidents every year, yet we still continue to drive. Obviously, this convenience outweighs the lives cost in the eyes of society. You might argue that it is not a certainty that anyone will die, and it can be prevented with care. To this I respond that it IS a certainty that SOMEONE will die in car accidents somewhere in the world, no matter how careful we are.

Many other human activities carry a necessary loss of life, yet we continue to do them because the loss of a few lives is worth it to maintain our modern lifestyle. Mining, shipping, military activities, spaceflight, the list goes on.

So don't tell me life is priceless. It's precious no doubt, but not priceless.