I don't know why it took me so long to realize it, but the phrase “net worth,” is another tragic, screaming example of what's wrong with our society. Many will correctly point out that it's a descriptive economic term. But think about it. Without the implied idea that it means *economic* worth, these words quite literally describe the value of a human being. And this read of those words is reinforced every day by America's deification of the rich. And interestingly, in contrast to most parts of our system which are designed to extract greater labor for lower cost, this one ends up costing us our self-esteem. To even remotely suggest or imply that our net worth can be expressed in dollars is beyond grotesque, and a vivid example of the horrors of late stage capitalism.