Imagine there were no money. Would we be happier?

1. 59

   Virhinio Netoposted 13 years ago

   Imagine there were no money. Would we be happier?
   
   At the end of the day… is money a contributor to our happiness?

   replyreport
2. 59

   milesofjazzposted 13 years ago

   Very interesting idea, but we would still use currency, wouldn't we? I mean, I would walk into a store and offer them a good instead of dollars, in effect making that good a type of currency, right? Bartering would also become a far more common way to exchange goods.
   
   All in all, no, I do not think money *in and of itself* contributes to our happiness. I've seen a lot of poor people who are happier than the rich, that's for sure.

   replyreport
3. 59

   abhijitshiplposted 13 years ago

   Concepts not bad, use to work in BC time but now its difficult. Think below scans
   
   1) Milkmen at the pub? how will he pay
   2) Barmen at school? What goods will he pay
   
   Well it happens will make us run less but will not make the life easy so i dont think it will make it happier.

   replyreport
4. 84

   wychicposted 13 years ago

   As milesofjazz already mentioned, we'd simply revert to the system of barter we had before there was a common currency. Overall, I don't think people would be happier, since most of the world seems to have forgotten how to produce many of the goods needed to sustain life, and because the growth and manufacture of all the essentials are so spread out now thanks to the structure of commerce that we have. For instance, my own skills are not in demand locally, but I'm still able to make a living off of them because people can send me money in payment for my services, and in turn I can buy food with that money. My clients in other countries can't just send me food for my services. Then again, most of the types of food available in my community comes from elsewhere because very little can grow here aside from corn, potatoes, wheat, and a few other such crops. If we want fruit, rice, and other such things, we'd have to come up with something that not only the people who have the food want, but also what the people transporting it want too...and it can't be available where they come from, because then they might as well just get it there.
   
   Overall, we're really not set up for a barter system anymore, and without currency we'd have to completely rebuild our structure for production, manufacture, and trade...and the pursuit of a powerful bartering empire would no doubt consume the same people who are now consumed by the pursuit of money, because all money really is is a more versatile bartering tool. The greed that makes money a problem would still be there, so taking it away isn't what would fix the problem.

   replyreport
5. 59

   amsmovingposted 13 years ago

   I believe that due to society that money is in fact a true if not the only contributor to our happiness... I say this, due to the fact that our social status is determined on the basis of money. The way in which you may life is due to money, which job you have currently and what you eat is all due to money. If one has enough money they could live comfortably and eat properly as well as over indulge in the consumption of their food but, if you lack money you may be living on the street begging people for food and get anything thing you can find which may be spoiled or uneatable. Also, most people judge outer appearance especially bosses at jobs. Meaning if you came to an interview dressed well because you could afford it you may get the job as apposed to the person that is not dressed properly due to lack of money to buy the better clothes. So even your health and career are a result of money... now by no means do I agree that money is the only way you can have happiness but it is definitely a contributor. If we had no money then we would still have not gotten rid of the root of the problem which is currency, without the utilization of money as our currency in this proposed world we would have some type of system in place of money to provide us with a type of currency to get the things we want in the particular world. And we would still be having the same problems we had with money only this time it would be a different currency.

   replyreport
6. 71

   SteveoMcposted 13 years ago

   No,  money simply represents the accumulation of wealth.  It is easier to deal with than say taking a chicken to the barber shop, rich people would have someone bring the chickens in for them and they would have millions of chickens and can have anything they want.

   replyreport
7. 61

   pueblomanposted 13 years ago

   Our village in Spain was virtually money less for decades under the Franco dictatorship. Tiny amounts of money changed hands, but the real currency was exchange of goods and services. If you had anything you divided it among your neighbours, if you had a skill, you gave it away free, but always on the assumption that others would do the same for you - tomorrow or sometime.
   
   Strangers are charmed by this because they don't understand it. They turn up, take the goods and services and then leave, wrongly believing that there is such a thing as a free lunch. When locals realise that these people are stuffed with money and miserly with it, matters soon change.

   replyreport
8. 49

   Jade Yurilaposted 13 years ago

   Hey, I think we live in a very lavish society. We buy stuff and in the end throw it away even though it might be still in good condition and might be useful for somebody else. I consider bartering as a good alternative for money. Of course you can't barter everything. But it would be a relive for many people's mind, included me, to know okay if I run out of money, I can still barter a new haircut for example. For quite some time now I use barterquest.com to trade with other people and it works great. I can barter for services and goods and even real estates. It's cashless and I get all I need. I think the world be more happier if it would be more tolerant and open to new ideas.

   replyreport