Who Needs Money Anyway?
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Why Do We Love It So Much?
Money is everywhere. It is an instrument of economics. As the world turns in a day, money is part of countless transactions. Coins, paper bills, plastic cards, and alternative electronic currencies such as bitcoin or dogecoin are in play every day. Money can be earned, and it can be converted to physical assets. You can control real estate with money by trading cash for a home with a yard, an apartment in a high rise, or a ranch dotted with cattle and chickens.
Money, like power, can be used for good or ill. Used for good — an investment in medical research. Or for ill — as a dealer of illegal substances such as drugs.
Money represents the value of an object. A dollar bill represents a dollar of buying power. That dollar can be used against an acquisition, such as a piece of fruit or gallon of gasoline.
Want to know what money means to a man on the street who works 40 hours a week to support a family? Imagine the reaction if this happened.
Early in the week, once everyone is getting into the flow of their jobs, stand on a chair in the office and get everyone’s attention. Announce to the office that you, as CEO, are no longer interested in paying for anything, from new equipment — to the coffee in the breakroom. Include on that list your worker’s salary or hourly rates.
The office would explode. Calm everyone down. Say this will not affect your jobs or your employment in any way. You’ll be expected to forge ahead, and no paychecks will be forthcoming. Thank you for your time. Now everyone, please get back to work. We have profits to make. As you were!
The tapping on computer keyboards would cease. The office airspace would fill with staplers and paper clip cups- flying towards the CEO — who was last seen sprinting down the hall to barricade himself in his office. Roars of disbelief break the silence. It’s preposterous. Yes, but it does illustrate the importance of money.
What does money mean to you? Our world pivots on basic principles, markets, supply and demand, the tools of production, and working capital. What would our lives be like if there were no dollar bills? How would we get access to food, shelter, medicine, transportation, and services? It is hard to imagine.
