Bread and circus
Don't worry; I'm not having a crisis of faith. But I had an interesting realization a few weeks ago: the only thing that has intrinsic measurable value is entertainment. OK, maybe not the only thing. Remedio healthcare, where you can stop somebody's pain. Or perhaps the restaurant industry where you can feed someone and stop their hunger. But even there, restaurants are more than mere satiation – they are a form of entertainment. Point being, a lot of the "deeper things" are really impossible to measure and you just have to hope that people are being affected the way you intended. This might have something to do with my being professionally employed in higher education. If I were to work in the entertainment industry, life becomes simpler: Were you entertained? You were? Great! Mission accomplished. Hedonism doesn't sound very satisfying, but it sure is straightforward. :)