[thoughts from ~burning woman~ by Sha’Tara]
Yes, let’s talk about money. I have been observing how people deal with money for many, many years now. Basically in North America, most people have no clue what money is, or what it is actually for. Sadly, that includes the money changers and that is why the "economy" (there is no such thing but it has a nice political ring to it) is in the mess it's in. An economy, unlike life, is a man-made artificial concept that means whatever those in charge of it want it to mean. Got that? Good.
What is money? Stripped of its quasi-divinity and power, money is no different than your average tape measure, or the odometer in your car. Money is a measure of the value of a “thing” and of labour. Let me repeat this: money is a measuring tool, nothing more.
It’s like this: when you want to buy a fence for your garden, you don’t take the garden to the lumber yard, you take a measurement. When you want to exchange personal value (what you own, or what you have earned) for a new car, you don’t take your house down there, or your job. You take money which is the measure of what you are worth at that moment. It's an agreed representation, an image, of what you are worth which entitles you to buy something with that worth. The understanding is, if you buy something worth a quarter of what your total worth is, then your total worth is only three quarters of what you had before the deal, plus what you bought, of course. That could add to your original worth, or it could take from it. If what you are worth doesn’t allow you to have enough money (measure of your worth) to buy a car, then you don’t get a car. Is that so terrible? It wouldn’t be if all those who handle money played fair, and according to some natural law of balance. But over the millennia, the money-changers learned how to manipulate the “law” to their own advantage and they made a simple measure into an exponentially spreading monster of lies and mind-control which greedy and covetous Joe Average, who perhaps should now be better known as Joe Leverage, is only too eager to help along.
Wouldn’t it be nice if money was only money, and it could only function as a means of measuring one’s actual worth? Yes, but that isn’t going to happen, not ever, or at least not until or unless there comes a total global collapse of the entire capitalist web. Since this web has ensnared all religions, all governments, including benighted “communist” types, all businesses and all people, that would be some collapse! Let’s then assume that such a complete collapse of capitalism is not possible without citified and marginalized mankind being wiped off the face of the planet. Is there a way for an individual to live a life not totally dependent upon money? Not completely controlled by money?
The good news is, yes, there is. When I was still quite young, as in grade school, and having read quite a few books already, some of those dealing with such topics as social justice, spirituality, personal drama, love and war and some with homesteader horse sense, I “discovered” this basic truth: when you are still young, still dependent upon your parents for your keep, then is a good time to learn about money. If you practice making money your servant during those days when you can lose it all, or give it all away, chances are it will never gain the kind of power over you guaranteed to make you penurious, miserly or greedy. If you do not learn how to force money to become your servant when you still can, it will establish itself over you as your slave-master and only a miracle will pull you up out of its clutches. Money will become all-important, and whether you have none, enough, or too much, you will never be free of its "danse macabre" stomping and twisting in your guts.
Let's look at four conditions one can experience regarding money.
The first condition is not having enough money. That makes one “poor” and poor people in a materialistic society are generally speaking, angry, resentful and jealous, often full of self-pity and ever scheming to get some sort of handout. That can lead to despondency and to the kind of mental torpitude and laziness often found in people who depend upon government or charitable institutions for their livelihood. It can lead to a life of gambling in the hope that a jackpot will resolve their lack of money. And it often leads to crime and crime leads to jail, another form of dependency. Money, by it’s lack, makes the poor its slaves.
The second condition, having enough money, should be relatively free of problems, but it isn’t either. Those who have enough as a general rule want more. They are covetous. If they can’t earn more, they will “borrow” more and live beyond their means. We already know this is basically the case for most people in this country. How did they get there? Well, sure, they were lied to, but didn’t they have the means to discern those lies? Advertising is about as subtle as a hammer to the side of the head. How anyone can fall for any radio, TV or newspaper and magazine advertising is beyond me. When I hear or see an ad, I feel insulted, perhaps in a very real sense, raped.
For that reason, I do not listen to radio, watch TV or read newspapers. It’s possible that buried beneath the confusion, deliberate ambiguousness, glitzy “photoshopped” pictorial ads, blatant lies, and doctored newsy stories, there may be fragments of truth attempting to surface, but is it worth the insults to one’s intelligence trying for that elusive morsel? No. Better yet, is it worth the money being asked to subscribe to this Babel of distraction? Definitely a bad deal. And finally, is it worth the hours, the total number of days of one’s life this takes away? The cheapest life going is worth more than all that garbage. So why are the “middle classes” – those who ostensibly “have enough money” – being systematically stripped of their possessions and livelihood to be spread naked on Mammon’s rack? Because they lack discernment and have been reduced to spiritual and mental eunuchs, permanent slaves of the debt Matrix. When you are in debt, you are money’s slave.
How about the third condition? What’s it like for those who have too much money? Are they better off? Or are they just pedalling faster than the second group? So they have control over more of the earth’s resources and they wear better clothes and eat better, or more, and they take longer trips – maybe – and they serve themselves perks the other groups can only dream of. But are they happy? Are they fulfilled? Is it great living on top of the mountain? Isn’t it rather stressful, always wondering when the other guy sitting on top of the next mountain is going to come over and knock you off your pedestal and take it for himself? Or perhaps you spend your time working out schemes whereby you can be the attacker and knock your competitor down. In the end, you are surrounded by those who want what you have and will do practically anything to get it. This may be the place where money is the ultimate taskmaster and slave driver.
So how about that fourth condition? What’s it like to be money’s master; to have it do what it is designed to do, and only what it is designed to do? Well, let’s see. You don’t experience the conditions mentioned above. You don’t get greedy because you know money is not a resource, having no intrinsic value. You don’t envy others because you already know what it costs them to be where they are and you are not going there. Most importantly you don’t think of yourself as either rich or poor. By keeping your “expenses” slightly below your income – regardless of what that income brings in – you realize what can be called a good life. Because you have enough and have no debt, there is no worry about money. You can even be charitable, within reasons, with the little extra you have put aside for life’s little exigencies. Where there’s no worry, there’s no stress. Where there’s no stress there’s health. It’s simple and it’s easy. And now you can live your life by choice, not by dictate.
However, you have aptly described how people can be become slaves to money. I have always looked at money as a tool and have used it effectively to provide for the three attendants I have taking care of me, even though I currently have no gainful employment. It's all a matter of living within your means to avoid having to become a slave to money.
Ron
My thoughts on the matter
of money are, all are just
filtering systems for all
of those that use what is
spent and given to each
individual as a rating
system for what they are
getting out of all this
If you followed a dollar
from the time it's minted
to when it's returned to
the govs purse, you would
see that it is only a tool
that is lent out and then
returned from whence it
came
Some get to make more on
it from their schemes and
side deals and such, and
those that follow the laws
usually end up only living
in survival mode
The only rich ones are the
thieves the gov lets steal
from the rest to keep them
from getting into positions
that threatens the gov's
position
There are very few that
get rich honestly and to
tell the difference, all
ya have to do is listen
when they open their
mouth, and breeding has
nothing to do with it
Thanks Regis for this
thought provokin write
thank you for sharing this..
Lady Vivian
Love ya!
Jane
The history of money begins around 2500 years ago with the first minting of coinage in about the seventh to sixth century BC. Money is any clearly identifiable object of value that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts within a market or which is legal tender within a country.
Since ancient times people have swapped items of value either in the exchange of gifts or else in markets where a commonly shared system of tokens is more convenient.
Basically it's nothing more than a token of exchange as opposed to furs and other what nots....
Man can be hoarders... their desire to have more and more and work harder and harder to get more and spend frivolously... toys and such non necessity items... somehow they find their worth more in this...
I do find it interesting, however you state you don't watch Telly, listen to radio, or read newspapers... I don't either "only" history and/or informative as such. Do not get involved in politics and completely one with nature...
so for now my money is used only for survival :)
Excellent thoughts Regis
"Money is a measure of the value of a thing and of labour. Let me repeat this: money is a measuring tool, nothing more." The statement that I remembered above all others after reading and cerebralizing the whole article, you stated your thoughts succinctly and pleasantly without either moralizing or demoralizing. You made observations, you suggested change, and you offered a means to get there. What more could I ask for spending 5 minutes of my time reading. Thank you, Regis. This will be internalized and acted upon for financial muscle building, to make my life antifragile as author, Nassim Nicholas Taleb, has coined the term, an entitled his latest book.
Kudos, sir.
Starman