ABSTRACT
When a person is extraordinarily effective in performing his responsibilities, so much so that he appears indispensable to the organization that employs him, he is frequently said to be ‘worth his weight in gold’. The implication is that he is extremely valuable to the organization, far more valuable than any remuneration he may receive. But inflation has been gradually eroding the real value (purchasing power) of gold, while rising educational levels and technical progress have been gradually increasing the value of human beings. In consequence, a significant number of people in our society have become worth far more than their weight in gold. For these people, to say that they are worth their weight in gold is not to praise them but to belittle them, since it implies that they are grossly overpaid.
