If money didn't exist

If money didn’t exist what would we do differently? Let me first remind us what this would mean.

In this imaginary moneyless it would mean: That we all had enough to eat. That we all had a place to live. That we all have equal access to healthcare and education. That we wouldn’t get paid for our work. That no-one gets paid for the work they do, in dollars at least.

It means that we do in during the day has an entirely different perspective. In this imaginary world it make sense that we choose our line of work carefully. The work itself, becomes the thing that matters.

It turns out that this is also the best approach for a world that does actually have money.

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7 thoughts on “If money didn't exist

  1. While a money-less society is quite difficult to imagine, a lot of thought and discussion has gone into this at “The Venus Project” where many of these types of questions are answered in the FAQ section http://thevenusproject.com/en/the-venus-project-introduction/faq

    My thoughts are that if money didn’t exist then people would be able to pursue a more creative, constructive, learning-focused, stress free lifestyle, where the key motivator would be improving society and caring for the world we live in. Unfortunately we live in a monetary-value based economy which leads to corruption, crime, excessive consumption, and doesn’t focus on improving society’s problems.

    So while you’re being idealist about doing a job where you’re not concerned about money is best, this can not be the case for the majority in today’s society. People are forced to compete with each other in order to make enough money to pay for life’s necessities – shelter, food, health, education, etc and more often than not this involves doing things you’d rather not be doing.

    I wonder how many people would pursue a career in the finance industry if it didn’t pay such huge bonuses, etc. This society rewards those that make money, not those that focus on solving it’s problems.

  2. Thanks for the thoughtful comment. I agree, we are forced to do what is available to our skill base to make a living. But I wonder what we could do if we all changed our viewpoint. I also what will happen as more and more of the worlds factors of production nearly become ‘free’ – like microchips…

    I hope that we’ll get less $ focused and more problem solving focused.

    Steve.

  3. From what I have read about traditional agrarian or tribal societies, only a few hours of work per day was generally required to secure all the material needs of the group. The rest of the time could be spent socializing, napping, playing music, pursuing creative projects etc

    Also, the line between work and social life was completely blurred e.g an expedition into the forest to collect wood would be a group experience, building a house a community activity etc.

    I like this idea because work is not a necessary evil to finance your life. It’s enmeshed within your social and cultural expression of yourself. It’s a vital, life-affirming part of your life, and is just one part of what makes you who you are.

  4. I love this Agrarian tribal story – we really need to re-invent what work is for…. and be more like that…. Once we are fed and healthy. Time is the asset.

    thanks for another great comment.
    Steve.

  5. hi my names Micheal i had an idea for an invention a few years back to start a new currency based on points 50 points a day for every worker etc..i was wondering if anybody had any ideas on how to get the idea sparked my grandmother always says money is the heart of all evil if we can find a way to build buildings that houses everybody on this plan by doing this man kind will be working towards the same goal of trying to reach its full potential..please tell me what u think steve id like some feed back

  6. Hi all. This is the most heart warming topic I have read in quite a while. If money was to become obsolete, mankind would find that his potetial for progress would no longer be restricted with financial shackles. Greed would be a thing of the past, along with crime, because behind almost every crime you will find money is the motive. And the biggest criminal, the one with the biggest amount of wealth (in the region of 500 Trillion dollars) Uses the wealth to manipulate and control the way the planet works. Wars are orchestrated, for profit, the big guys at the top dont care who lives or dies. Wars will also be a thing of the past, because there will be no reason to go and start killing other humans.
    Did you know that cancer has cures, but it cant be used due to corrupted pharmacuticals and governments.
    Medical research would be unlimited, because it would be relying more on human intelligence rather than money. There could be shops, where you could just go to and pick what you need, you wouldnt need loads more because why would you?, you dont need money. rather than researching ways to destroy, we could research to create. How about things like nuclear missiles? They could have their uses. To protect our Earth from incoming objects. Our atmosphere will start to clear dramatically, oil and poisonous gases that are spilled from tankers etc wont be needed, because the oil at the moment is only for filling the pockets of evil monsters who control us. The possibilities would be endless to what the human can really achieve. We really are a powerful and amazing carbon based life form. Wouldn’t you say?

  7. WOW…can i just say how happy i am that i am not the only one who feels this way. these are all great ideas. I really like the Agrarian tribal story and is the same idea i have had. Take away the $$$, take away the greed, take away the crime, take away all the borders…we would all be EQUAL! and with that i would imagine and hope peace will follow. We would not be a world of nations but one world united, helping one another instead of stepping on each other to get to the top. We would all have access to food and clothing so no hunger. we would all have a roof over our heads and isn’t that all we need. People will still work but doing what each person is strongest at, most importantly enjoys, like construction, curing, feeding, caring, creating, etc and in return for the work they have performed they are granted food, care, home, clothing. everyone puts in their part. just think how amazing that would be. all equals, no superiority. no privileges. everyone with a fair share. with no money i would also imagine we would have more time to spend with one another. we are so focused and driven on making more more and more money that we are spending less time with our loved ones. a world united, sharing, giving and loving one another. is it only a dream or could this be a possibility? what could we do to make this possible?

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