I am a self-professed believer in “quality-over-quantity” in all things. This runs contrary to the American ethic, and the ethic in most cultures around the world. We are culturally hard-wired to ask quantitative questions: How much? How fast? How far? How soon? As Reinhold Niebuhr noted: “Americans seek a solution to practically every problem in life in quantitative terms.” Just look at teh Walmart sales pitch: save money, live better. It’s effective; getting more and paying less has to be better . . . right? I don’t think so. We need to consider a valuation system based on the innate quality of things.