How do you measure the life of a man or a woman?

Earlier I posted the lyrics of Seasons of Love. And it is for a reason.

It asks the question: How do you measure the life of a man or a woman? And it answers the question beautifully:

"in truths that she learned
or in times that she cried
in bridges he burned
or the way that she died"

Yes, a man's worth is not signified by the medals he has acquired over the years, nor by the awards conferred on him which may have been bought, appealed for, inveigled into being given. Lucky the man or woman who knows his worth is beyond what mankind confers on him or has refused to do so. Lucky the man who knows that he knows best who he is, what he stands for. Lucky is he or she who doesn't need externals nor relies on them to realize his worth.

Unfortunate is the person who has been brought up to believe that medals and honors should be obtained at any cost, at all cost, even at the cost of losing the respect of others. Why? When the medals stop coming, he will be left without anything to stand on. He will be crippled and will self-destruct. He will feel worthless.