Money: The Gift & the Curse

Essay by zaneyCollege, UndergraduateA, April 2006

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Money: the abstract illusion of finite value given to otherwise worthless objects; an idea that our 'modern' society is both plagued by, yet hinges on. Constantly, we hear phrases like "time is money" and "money makes the world go 'round", and have almost been brainwashed into believing so, attesting to its effect on civilization over the last several centuries. As an item given a set exchange value, the concept of money becomes closely tied with that of a commodity, often resulting in the clouding of both ideas. Going beyond its face value as 'legal tender', the psychology behind money as we know it today is the product of hundreds of years of history and development. With a multitude of possible avenues to investigate, the theoretical aspects of money and its offshoots can be looked at from various standpoints, including its symbolism, its effects on modern culture, its role in the lives of individuals and its limits (moral, ideal, or theoretical, if any).

Money is a symbolic idea of value that was instated to provide an economic standard for valuation of goods, but instead gave humans the means to fundamentally revamp society and morality, often in the name of profit. For as long as it has existed, money has revolutionized cultures and given definition to economies, and continues to do so with every passing generation.

What is money? Money is whatever we make it. It is nothing, and can be everything at the same time (without attempting to sound poetic). Money is the lifeblood of today's civilization, and, in an oversimplified manner of stating it, a symbol. Thus, one is left to wonder the fate of our society knowing that its lifeblood is nothing more than an abstract symbol.

We humans, by instinct, do everything we can to satisfy our own...