Seeking and Finding Wholeness

I will start by leaving my answer.

If there was no money, (wo)man would be happy.

no more shopping sprees in j. crew

Uli, good answer, but what if you had no need to buy? If money didn’t exist, you could walk in take what you need, based on an honor system. People would be trusted to take what they need, not what they want.

A friend responded with this text (posted with permission)

As long as the human race insists on having power and/or control over one another, thinking they are more important or better than others, etc…. whether or not money exists is of no consequence. People would only replace ‘money’ with something else to use in it’s place (land, food, etc…just as we did before money existed).

I honestly don’t believe simply removing money from the equation would make any difference at all. Though on the surface life might change in some ways, the roots of our problems will remain unchanged.

To truly create a better society and life for all, the pivotal shift would need to first come from the hearts and minds of each individual on earth.

“Do no harm to the earth, she is your mother.
Being is more important than having.
Never promote yourself at another’s expense.
Hold life sacred; treat it with reverence.
Allow each person the dignity of his or her labor.
Open your home to the wayfarer.
Be ready to receive your deepest dreams;
sometimes they are the speech of unblighted conscience.
Always make restitutions to the ones you have harmed.
Never think less of yourself than you are.
Never think that you are more than another. — Arthur Dobrin “

You make many very good points! We need a change in culture, in priorities, in values, perhaps then a change in daily life, including how money is used, will come.

This kind of change requires an evolution of human awareness globally. Many will resist this tooth and nail. Many people do not trust others, many are fearful of anything differnt and far too many are ONLY concerned with themselves forgetting that they live in a society.

But could it be argued that should the concept of money disappear overnight that there will be ‘good’ that will come out of that?

Take for instance this example: Our hero today, let’s call him Sam, goes to his job that he hates but has to keep in order to make money (to buy food and live), he gets paid well especially in this current bad economy so he tries to be content, his job is at company that is into chemical engineering, nano-technology and drugs. The company makes its ‘products’ for the sole purpose of selling them at a profit, after all that is the main goal of this company.

This company wants the money before anything else leading them putting people’s lives at risk at times due to lack of product testing and relaxed government regulations (due to influence by lobbyist money). Add to that the company’s lack of interest or regard to nature, clean air, clean water, conservation, healthy nature and even lack of regard to people’s health.

The company invents new nano molecules, new hormones, new pesticides, new drugs and genetically modify seeds and proclaim it did all that to help humanity.

All these untested ‘inventions’ are released (for a big monetary compensation) into the human population and into nature at large. People admire this company’s success, not to mention profits, not knowing the full story. These products lead to all sorts of long term and most of the time hidden damage. Years pass and people die as a result of cancers, birth defects and no one can tell why people are sick, even when they know the cause nothing is done. People’s lives seem unimportant. Nature is damaged, lakes get polluted with products these companies sold to the masses, the air is polluted by exhaust fumes from ill-designed automobiles and ineffective transportation systems, farmers are unable to plant seeds without paying their masters (watch the movie Food Inc if you haven’t), and people get hooked on drugs they are told are good for them.

Sam suffers psychological problems due to his unfulfilled life, he feels like something is missing, he is thankful for the money he makes at his job yet he feels that his life was meant to be more important and more impactful.

Every morning, Sam wakes up at 6AM, hurriedly eats cereal because he was told its good for him, he kisses his wife and hurries to work again. He steps out and breaths in the polluted air, he gets to work at the same company that is polluting his air & poisoning his food. For lunch, he eats untested GMO foods with pesticide residues. He goes home tired and he does not know why. His wife is at work as well, then she attends evening classes in order to get a raise. They barely see each other.

Sam suffers from malnutrition, poisoned food and air, lack of quality people time and a wasted potential for greatness. He knows it and wonders why we do things the way we do. He wonders what if money was gone, how would life be.

Now imagine money GONE.

Would one work at a job she doesn’t like?
Would scientists that know how a certain drug is killing people keep their mouth shuts so they wont loose their source of income?
Would news companies care more about their ratings (i.e. money) than about accurate news reporting?
Would CEO’s and corporations have so much power over everyone else?
Would companies sell untested inventions to make a quick buck?
Will people die from hunger because they cant buy food in poor countries when there is more than enough food for all?
Would democracy be threatened by money interests?
Will political candidates that have more money win elections or would people vote based on accurate reported information by an honest news media?
Will patients die because they don’t have insurance?
Will so much brain power be wasted in the stock market? (many gifted mathematicians and physicists went into the stock market cos their field of study doesnt pay much)
Would valuable inventions be patented and hidden away from people? (watch Who Killed the Electric Car movie)
Would so much brain power be wasted in dead end jobs, making useless or harmful products?
Would people be put first and foremost?

Will selfishness and disregard to others be rewarded?
will conformity be rewarded?

What values will surface and grow when money is gone?