The value of money , the way we look at it and ourselves

With the financial crunch just getting started I cant help but notice just how much of our world and phycy revolve around money .

Man has used many tokens to represent a tradable currency , paper , metal coins , plastic cards, and even wooden sticks known as the Tally stick .

When we look at the various tokens that have been used to represent currency through out our history I am left with the conclusion that what we use to represent money is less important then the importance / value that we render onto it .

Without stretching ones imagination to far one can see the need for a functional and piratical currency in helping an early society form and grow . We / Man are a social and creative creature and by our own nature we went on to create a means to trade goods , not only to survive but to grow .

Over time this creation has evolved in many ways from form to the very way in which we look at it and what it can do for us . There was a time when people were called citizens , we are now , more often then not , called consumers . We no longer look at money as something that provides a means to obtain life's necessities but rather a means to complete ones sense of self . Very often this sense of self is accomplished by spending money on things we want , but don't necessarily need . This habit can even lead to stress and anxiety caused by the excessive debt that usually accompanies an unchecked spending habit . In many was this creation , money , has gone from a servant of our needs to the master of our wants .

When we look at just how important money is to us , out of necessity as well vanity , how do you see the way in which we look at money changing , if at all , with the very tough finical days ahead ?

Will we also be forced to change the way in which we look at ourselves, and there by reevaluate the value in which we render onto money ?



A few interesting links

video.google.com...

en.wikipedia.org...

www.emaxhealth.com...

en.wikipedia.org...



[edit on 19-12-2008 by Max_TO]

I really do hate money.

And I really wish we had a different way of doing things.

Which is why I love the idea of the Venus Project.

I'm willing to bet that more people would cry and get emotionally involved listening to the radio stations giving away toys to needy children at christmastime, than those that would be more moved by listening in on footage of a soup kitchen actually feeding needy kids. How did we get this materialistic? Where the radio station gives a family a flat screen TV and everyone is all moved by it, while people starve around the world? The flat screen sells, ppl get bored of the needy being fed. This is what I think will change in coming times. People just don't like to think they are working for mundane things or that anyone is, it makes them feel less like the celebrities they watch on TV. Society is very F'd up in the head.

When I read your post I wonder just how many hours a person spends worrying/thinking about money...

In a general, basic sense, people will definetly change the way they look at it with the worsening economy.

I'm hearing older/retirement age people even today as the economy worsens saying things like, "That's why you work all those years, so you can retire." Younger folks: "Oh I'm working to buy this jewelry, or this car. I want that..."

What is so wrong with working in order to sustain your life? Why does it always have to be about something nobody really needs? Why can't people admit that we all have to put food on the table. Why sugar coat our work and pretend there is some "higher purpose." Some goal that makes us feel like royalty. With the deteriorating economy, this will all change for many people.

Originally posted by Novise



I'm hearing older/retirement age people even today as the economy worsens saying things like, "That's why you work all those years, so you can retire." Younger folks: "Oh I'm working to buy this jewelry, or this car. I want that..."

Wow, for some reason I read that and it was like something just clicked inside of me. That is EXACTLY how my generation, and the younger generation thinks.

It just raised a red flag in me, we really have been manipulated.

Money makes the world go around
Its there like a system or a rule implemented and throughout the years there has been so much buildup for this concept that it now seems irrational to think we could go without money
I mean I am pretty unmaterialistic atleast I try...but there comes a point where you have to mix reality with ideals.
Money is idealistic as it gives power to whatever idea it backs
Money is realistic in the sense that it constantly is reminding us of our "reality"
Our house bill, or gas, or food our this or that..whatevr you want to call it
The concept that there is enough for everyone is only idealistic
simply because it is also unrealistic.
We have used money as a way to value things which we do not feel like valuing..so instead we create a "game"
Lets use paper and numbers to represent somethings worth.
Now these papers and numbers begin to represent people..and what there worth.
So you have the idea of classism right there.
But why? probably because Humanity can fall to greed very easily...And there is always a egotisic feeling of power when you have more than someone else.
We become so wrapped up in our money that when we dont have it..when we cant use it..when its not there we act as if we can longer breathe.
Would I love to see money abolished and replaced with a more ethical way..hell yes
But you have to be realistic....in our times in this day and age not everything will get done for free
We have created this game...you can't just change the rules midway during...You have to quit and that means when you abolish your money you abolish your way of thinking since money is what most people are primarily thinking about.
Funny story though...me and my friends dont use money a whole helluva lot..I mean we do but not alot and infact we use the barter system and relie on favors towards each other...everyone now and then we run across some people we know..and when a situation pops up and money is offered or is avaliable, me and my friends simply seem to not care and act as if the money is nothing to us...its funny to see peoples reactions because they really dont know what to do when you dont care about their money..and what they think you want

There was a time that people use to ask how much a car cost , now we ask how much are the monthly payments . We as a society have stopped saving for anything , like why bother if we can use credit , right ?

It has gotten to a point that large corporations will use subliminal messages to target us to motivate our spending habits .

If some killers can use mental illness / temporary insanity , as an excuse to get out of a murder wrap can we do the same as a means to get out of credit card debt ?

"If some killers can use mental illness / temporary insanity , as an excuse to get out of a murder can we do the same as a means to get out of credit card debt ? "

haha, good point!

dalan - I was thinking today about the younger generation. You know how there are some "fiscal convervative" (for lack of a better word) ones who are saving their money. So it seems like they've broken out of the "spend for the moment" manipulation that the younger generation has bought. But what if these seemingly more sensible young people are only hanging on the the old manipulation/paradigm, the same manipulation their parents were taught and have managed to pass on.

I love money im gonna get an inground swimming pool built in the summer and im gonna fill it with money....

I, personally, think its a shame how people view money. It's almost as if it runs their life completely. Sure, I remember the "Me" generation, but it seems to have subconciously dug into our younger generations.

It very well could be the fault of the parents since Word War II, who wanted to give their kids what they never had. That philosophy has continued well into present time.

A wad full of $100 bills, chrome rims and a fully customized car doesn't make you cool, or better. Actually, it makes you a FOOL! All the spending to make something like that posible is just what the hidden hands want you to think is important.

There are things of beauty in this life and I'd be lying if I didn't think a lime greem Lamboghini wouldn't look good in the driveway, but honestly, money doesn't make the person. It never has.

Man made the money, money never made the man.

Some of the best things in life cost nothing... Money can't buy: a childs laughter, a woman's smile, the sunset (and subsequent moon) over the Superstition Mountains in Arizona, that perfect winter morning on the porch with a cup of hot green tea and love.

Originally posted by Jkd Up
I, personally, think its a shame how people view money. It's almost as if it runs their life completely. Sure, I remember the "Me" generation, but it seems to have subconciously dug into our younger generations.

It very well could be the fault of the parents since Word War II, who wanted to give their kids what they never had. That philosophy has continued well into present time.

A wad full of $100 bills, chrome rims and a fully customized car doesn't make you cool, or better. Actually, it makes you a FOOL! All the spending to make something like that posible is just what the hidden hands want you to think is important.

There are things of beauty in this life and I'd be lying if I didn't think a lime greem Lamboghini wouldn't look good in the driveway, but honestly, money doesn't make the person. It never has.

Man made the money, money never made the man.

Some of the best things in life cost nothing... Money can't buy: a childs laughter, a woman's smile, the sunset (and subsequent moon) over the Superstition Mountains in Arizona, that perfect winter morning on the porch with a cup of hot green tea and love.

Trust me money can buy a womans everything....HAHAHAHAHAHA


Only thing money cant buy is love.....

but love cant buy u a damn thing.........

[edit on 20-12-2008 by Moose Head]

Originally posted by Novise
"If some killers can use mental illness / temporary insanity , as an excuse to get out of a murder can we do the same as a means to get out of credit card debt ? "

haha, good point!

dalan - I was thinking today about the younger generation. You know how there are some "fiscal convervative" (for lack of a better word) ones who are saving their money. So it seems like they've broken out of the "spend for the moment" manipulation that the younger generation has bought. But what if these seemingly more sensible young people are only hanging on the the old manipulation/paradigm, the same manipulation their parents were taught and have managed to pass on.

I would completely agree with you, because even our Grandparents who spent their entire lives working to retire at some point. Eventually ended up losing a lot of years in there lives, time that they could have been using to advance themselves in some way personally. Which is hard to do when you have to work the 9 to 5, and, in some cases, perhaps even 12-16 hour-a-day shifts.

The PTB has merely shifted the manipulation from one frame of mind to another, my generation and the younger generation after me, have spent way too much time bedazzled by Hollywood...

Here is a good quote:

"Slavery is likely to be abolished by the war power and chattel slavery destroyed. This, I and my (Jewish) European friends are glad of, for slavery is but the owning of labour and carries with it the care of the labourers, while the European plan, led by England, is that capital shall control labour by controlling wages.

This can be done by controlling the money. The great debt that capitalists will see to it is made out of war, must be used as a means to control the volume of money. To accomplish this, the bonds must be used as a banking basis. We are now awaiting for the Secretary of the Treasury to make his recommendation to Congress. It will not do to allow the greenback to, as it is called, to circulate as money any length of time, as we cannot control that."
-Mayer Amschel Rothschild

We truly have been infect by controlled wages.

....


"Hey! You're totally free to do what you want. Free country!"

But try to live in any way whatsoever in this country without a 9-5 or something equivalent, which will take up 5 out of 7 days of your week for... well, until you're old. Then you can retire and eventually die. Now who can tell me what this accomplishes?

Because of money we are still slaves, only cleverly manipulated so that we don't realize it.


I watched a documentary once. It said beef cows were once given more room to move around in their pens by the slaughterhouses, whereas they were once barely able to move around at all. This extra room was more comfortable for the beef cows, but that was just coincidence to the producers. The bottom line, was that it increased productivity, because less cows died prematurely.

Our form of democracy is like a slave state, except with certain innovations to make the slaves more productive. The biggest innovations happen to be convincing the slaves that in fact, they are already free, and then giving them this thing called "money" so they think they have power unto themselves. Really, it's just the power that's allowed us by TPTB, specifically bankers. In most cases, you don't build your house, make your own food, etc. It's all handed to you because you're a slave and you do slave labor for the system. You've been taught to love the system, too, btw! It's all you know, so how could you not love it? Now how genius is that?

To all who disagree, continue to enjoy your lives as best you can. There are greener pastures out there, but someone has definitely made it one hell of a pain in the ass to get there from here.

[edit on 20-12-2008 by bsbray11]

Originally posted by Novise
I'm hearing older/retirement age people even today as the economy worsens saying things like, "That's why you work all those years, so you can retire." Younger folks: "Oh I'm working to buy this jewelry, or this car. I want that..."

I had the pleasure of overhearing a conversation today between some smart and sassy retirees.

They were going off on a wide variety of topics from Bush, to the economy, to the bailout. One of the things that they said which made me stop and think is that, in today's world, we are more likely to spend money in order to impress people we don't know, barely know or don't even like than we are to spend money on things useful to our family or save it for important matters such as retirement or college.

So true for many people.




[edit on 20/12/2008 by kosmicjack]

The way corporations and the government target us by means of subliminal messages and TV programs continuing to program us none of this should come as a surprise . For a long time now our thought have not been our own , in a lot of respect .

What is to come with this impending economical crunch coming , how will people deal with the very real possibility of being forced to change the way they think of money ?

I am going to post a link to a video that I hope you take the time to watch . its about how those in power have used Freud's theories to try and control the dangerous crowd in an age of mass democracy

video.google.com...


[edit on 20-12-2008 by Max_TO]

[edit on 20-12-2008 by Max_TO]