Ozymandias: The Value Of Life

Even today, The question that does not have one clear answer is, “What is the value of life”. To some, one’s life might be measured in money, while to others, ones life might be measured in how much good they have brought into this world. In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, he contemplates dealing with the meaning of life and death, and the perception of man itself. In Chris Jones interview with John Ebert, we see Ebert’s positively about what life is all about, even when there is struggle. Amanda Ripley’s article conveys a message about the problems with life being valued by dollars and cents, when the question is, “Should this be done?”. In the poem Ozymandias, the author, Percy Bysshe, illustrates how the value of life in the beginning is filled with

To compete and pursue something gives my life a purpose to obtain my goals, even when knowing my destination is death one day. One example of this is in the poem, Ozymandias, by Percy Bysshe, who illustrates, “ 'My name is Ozymandias, king of kings: Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair! ' Nothing beside remains.” This quote states that Ozymandias was a powerful king at his time, even if in the end it meant nothing. To pursue something larger than myself and to try to obtain greatness, even if the end result is nothing, brings value to my life. I try to live life with purpose and challenge myself to do so, even at the cost of becoming nothing at all in the end. Another example of this is in my own life in my freshman year of highschool. I didn’t know how to play basketball, or even dribble, yet I still tried out for the girls basketball team. I knew I wanted to compete, and to challenge myself, no matter what the cost. With ups and downs I made the basketball team and achieved my goal. This moment in my life, like many other moments in competing in sports, gave my life meaning because I tried something which was challenging for me and competed to the best of my ability. My life means something when I challenge myself because it allows me to pursue and obtain my goals, even if when I die, it might not mean anything at all to others. The last statement about challenging myself is in the article, “You’ve got to find what you love’, by Steve Jobs. He states, “Remembering that you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart….Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish.” This statement describes how by remembering you are going to die one day, it helps you know that at this point you have nothing to lose, so challenge yourself and compete. For me, my life is given meaning when I