I know a school teacher in MA who is pretty upset that Tom Brady makes tens of millions of dollars for throwing a football around. She feels her work is far more important, and if anyone is going to be paid tens of millions of dollars, it should be her.
I’ve tried to tell her that life in unfair, but she thinks it shouldn’t be.
Explain to her the basic economic concept of marginal utility. Water is more important to daily life than diamonds, yet diamonds are priced so much higher because they are incredibly scarce.
I think it’s healthier to consider income as simply random than to try to imagine its being “fair” or recognizing any ethical (rather than purely economic) “value.”
Economic value is effectively a tautology: a sick chicken or a football player or a teacher is “worth” whatever someone will freely give you for it.
Look at how much money the owners of “Grumpy Cat” made. You can be upset at the injustice, or you can laugh at the absurdity of humanity. The latter course is better for your digestion.
Never mind the fact that her teaching has nothing to do with Tom Brady’s success. My skills as an adult are due to my college choices and self-directed learning, not my teachers from growing up.
The only significant contribution I have from my teachers growing up is the memories of if they encouraged me or discouraged me in my pursuits. I had a lot more teachers kill my dreams (especially in high school) than teachers who encouraged my success...and they wonder why I don’t think they’re as important as they think they are.
My wife taught high school and she agrees with me.