Most people are drawn to things in stages:
Some are so base that they admire only lifeless things—like stones, wood, or food.
Some are a bit more advanced, and they love living things, such as animals.
Others go further, and value rational beings—but still only for their utility or talents, like valuing a slave for their skills.
But the wisest person sees the true worth of a rational being who is also social and communal—not for what they can do, but for what they are. This person tends to their own soul first, acting with reason and in harmony with others, always with the public good in mind.
