Each person living on the planet is unique, and the highest happiness for him is knowing and understanding his desires, as well as being able to defend and realize his right to translate them into reality. Only those who know their worth in the good sense of the word are capable of this. How should this expression be understood?
The stable expression "knows his own worth" in most cases is used in relation to a man or a woman with a shade of condemnation. Perhaps this is due to the fact that for many decades in the countries of the former USSR, modesty and the ability to bring their interests to the sake of a common cause were considered one of the main virtues. What does it mean when people familiar with him say about someone that he really knows his own worth?
“Know your worth” - what is it?
Many people mistakenly believe that the expression “know your own worth” can be used most often in relation to those who are characterized by high self-esteem. In fact, the one who really knows his own worth evaluates himself fairly objectively and adequately. This person differs from others primarily in that it is his own interests that are of greatest value to him, and not those that were artificially imposed by someone.
For example, those who were born and raised in the USSR, literally with mother's milk, absorbed the idea that work is the most important thing. Think of the respect, for example, of factory workers who met and exceeded production norms. Imbued with the excitement of competition, people undermined their health in hazardous industries, suffering illness on their feet and making recognition at work the highest value for themselves. The one who knows his own worth understands that work is not the whole life; he copes well with his duties, but he will not sacrifice his interests to please the employer without a decent remuneration.
A person who knows his own worth - what is he?
Most often they say "He knows his worth" about the person who is not afraid to upset someone or ruin a relationship with someone, expressing their true desires. This may be a teenager who, for example, does not want to work as a blacksmith, like all the other men in his family, but enters a medical school. Often they say this about a girl who does not want to get married not for love, but only because “the time has come,” which is actively condemned by public opinion. A specialist who is not ready to get a job, certain conditions of which do not meet his requirements, also “knows his own worth”.
As can be seen from the examples, a person who knows his own worth looks like an upstart and egoist in the eyes of most of the people around him. In fact, he simply realizes that it is better to immediately express his wishes and, possibly, be refused, than to agree to something that is clearly not to his liking, thereby forcing himself to endure it for a long time. It looks encouraging that nowadays there are more and more people who know their worth and are aware of what they want.
