stub -- What is Money?
(article stub)
Money is a curious thing. We have it, or we don't. We need more, at least most of us feel like we do, most of the time.
What is money, really?
Hundreds or thousands of years ago, our families and communities got along just fine without money. People shared things. They grew their food, or gathered it, or hunted for it. They shared what they collected. Sometimes, others took care of the preparing of the food, the storing of the food, the raising of the children, the work of the home, and all those other tasks which made life enjoyable. In this era, hundreds of thousands of years long, people knew each other because they lived together and grew up together, and so they shared things with each other constantly, back and forth. People gained "credit" within the band or tribe or family or community by contributing, in whatever way they could, in whatever way was needed.
The concept of "trade" emerged as one community came in touch with another. Perhaps one community was on the move, and walked past another community, things would be shared between the two, gifts exchanged, to show appreciation and perhaps show what each community had in abundance to offer. Communities gained "credit" with one another, and through that bond, might commence in more-or-less regular trades, trading things that each community desired.
Eventually, it emerged, that some things that were traded were wanted by everyone, for whatever reason. It might have been pretty shells, or domesticated animals, or salt, or anything which everyone seemed to desire, but also might be willing to trade. These items became valuable not only because of their inherent value, but because of their value in trade, in that even if one trader didn't want more salt, that same trader knew that he could turn around and trade the salt with someone else, for what the trader really did desire.
(to be continued)
Money is a curious thing. We have it, or we don't. We need more, at least most of us feel like we do, most of the time.
What is money, really?
Hundreds or thousands of years ago, our families and communities got along just fine without money. People shared things. They grew their food, or gathered it, or hunted for it. They shared what they collected. Sometimes, others took care of the preparing of the food, the storing of the food, the raising of the children, the work of the home, and all those other tasks which made life enjoyable. In this era, hundreds of thousands of years long, people knew each other because they lived together and grew up together, and so they shared things with each other constantly, back and forth. People gained "credit" within the band or tribe or family or community by contributing, in whatever way they could, in whatever way was needed.
The concept of "trade" emerged as one community came in touch with another. Perhaps one community was on the move, and walked past another community, things would be shared between the two, gifts exchanged, to show appreciation and perhaps show what each community had in abundance to offer. Communities gained "credit" with one another, and through that bond, might commence in more-or-less regular trades, trading things that each community desired.
Eventually, it emerged, that some things that were traded were wanted by everyone, for whatever reason. It might have been pretty shells, or domesticated animals, or salt, or anything which everyone seemed to desire, but also might be willing to trade. These items became valuable not only because of their inherent value, but because of their value in trade, in that even if one trader didn't want more salt, that same trader knew that he could turn around and trade the salt with someone else, for what the trader really did desire.
(to be continued)