Who invented money? Ask any number of people and they won’t know who actually invented the money or where the idea came from. History has given us some bad ideas, but money has to be the worst and here are my top three reasons.
- Something invented by man must not have power over him. If I think hard and try to imagine a time without money, before it was invented and used on a daily basis, I tend to imagine that the world was a completely different place. People probably had an exchange-type society, where goods and services were exchanged and that was how to survive. If I had a particular skill, say hunting, and you were hungry, you could come to me to eat. The idea would be that if you could make a fire, and I could provide the food, then we could exchange our skills or abilities and everyone would receive what was good for them. I assume, for the sake of argument, that if someone had absolutely no skill, that person would still be allowed to eat. I cannot imagine that I would lend a little meat to the helpless soul, only if it could be repaid in any way. Before the helpless soul could blink, he could owe me five dinners and then I would have to send collection agents to collect his debts. Money provides control, both in positive and negative control. Although it is man-made, and essentially just a piece of paper or a mixture of cheap metals, money has power and it is power. I can imagine Mr. Helpless Soul explaining to his wife that he cannot repay the hunter and does not know what to do. So Mr. Hunter decides to enslave the Helpless Soul family until the debt is paid. It is incomprehensible to me that so many people in my country and in the world go hungry every day. Those who have the money have the power to deny the needs of those who have no means. Where did the humanitarians go? I have seen a businessman expel a person who was homeless and starving and, half an hour later, deal with a customer who complained when he shouted that his food was not hot enough. Money only has the power we give it. If we choose to see it only as a means to an end, or just a silly role that we have been told to obey throughout our lives, then we can focus on what really matters. I am not advocating not paying debts or reducing liabilities. This is the world we live in, and the rules must be followed … until the laws change again to suit what politicians want at any particular whim of the day.
- Money shifts the focus from mutual aid to the arbitrary “value” of mere things. Why should I do anything to help someone else, unless they can afford it? If my whole focus in life is to obtain material things, then I should only be motivated by money, or by obtaining it, to do anything. What is something really worth? Marketing companies have defined the value for me since I was a child, and it hit me during the GI Joe commercial breaks. What is the value of all the things you want compared to something that really matters? Imagine what it is worth to spend another hour with a loved one before he dies and is gone forever. It is worth teaching your children that life is more than money and obtaining things. It is worth feeding a homeless person and helping him get at least one night’s sleep where his stomach doesn’t keep him awake. The value of reaching out and helping someone in this world is worth more than the biggest diamond, the heaviest gold and the purest oil. Now, I’m the biggest hypocrite on the subject, because I love things! It has been programmed in me for so long that it is difficult to dispel the desire to obtain things. Imagine a life where people help each other because it is the right thing to do, and not just for what they could get in return. The argument is, well, that things can’t just be free. You have to pay something to get something. How would the world work if everyone was simply giving everything away for free and everyone had everything they needed and no longer needed to be a slave to credit card companies or a job they didn’t like? How are we going to survive? My answer to these questions is, famous! I would be free to learn a trade that would benefit others and I could use that skill to support my family and help others. I wanted to help by giving or giving my whole life, but I never had the means. I donated a little time here and there, and not as much as I should or would have liked, but at least it was something. But because I like things, and these things cost me money, I have to continue my work and repeat the same cycle that my father did.
- Money makes you question whether people really care about you or just your money. I try to envision the end of my life surrounded by those who made my way with me, who love me and take care of me for the enrichment I gave them with my friendship and dedication. In my last years, enjoying my days with my wife and talking to my adult children and grandchildren. I want to enjoy every minute of my life between here and there. I want to feel, love and enjoy everything there is to offer. I have seen families destroyed, fighting for money that is left behind after a loved one dies. Some of these grudges are kept for the rest of their lives. They lose a relationship and also a loved one, and the only thing they can think of is how much money they are going to receive. Most likely, Mr. Rights, as we will call him, will not miss the loved one who got lost. How many brilliant individuals never had a chance of success due to lack of means, and how many elites received free passes because their stack of paper is bigger than yours. Do people close to you care about you or your money? Does the girlfriend only love you because of what you can buy her? Do your children only listen to you to get something they want? Take the money and would they abandon it? What a great idea, that money.
My answer to all of this is that I don’t have an answer. My two-year-old daughter asked me about money and loves to put money in her piggy bank. It made me start considering all the reasons why I worry about money, fight for it and read books about money. Nothing like a child’s honesty, to make you sit and think.