A Conversation for The Temple of Existentialism

Life after Death....

Post 21

Existential Elevator

Okay.

Money doesn't *actually* exist. It is just a lot of IOUs, really. So, in effect, money is a fictional entity. We just place a helluva lot of value on crumpled pieces of paper.

Douglas Adams could of explained it better, I'm afraid. Do you get where I'm going<?>


Life after Death....

Post 22

friendlywithteeth

But material life is much more than money, and paper notes/ metal coins are the impartial bartering stick that imposes values on things...smiley - tongueout


Life after Death....

Post 23

Existential Elevator

But does it have real value<?> Will you be wearing those jeans in 20 years' time<?> Does it accreit for your soul<?> [okay, so my jeans *do*, but I *made* them, dammit smiley - tongueout]


Life after Death....

Post 24

friendlywithteeth

Of course it has no value of it's own, but it has to assume value for capitalism to be meaningful. Maybe I will be wearing these trousers in 20 years: it just depends whether I can get in them smiley - tongueout


Life after Death....

Post 25

friendlywithteeth

were you the person who like nitin sawney by the way? [can never remember who I talked to about waht!]


Life after Death....

Post 26

Existential Elevator

smiley - laugh

What I'm saying is, it's wrong to put false value on things when there are other more important parts of living....

It would also be terribly wrong to still be wearing those jeans in 20 years time smiley - winkeye


Life after Death....

Post 27

friendlywithteeth

I agree with you, and see money as a necessary evil. COnsumerism, however is a hard nut to crack, as people are never satisfied with what they have, but constantly want more....MORE

It wouldn't be terribly wrong to be wearing these jeans in 20 yrs [assuming they still fit] because they'd probably be back in fashion again by then smiley - tongueout


Life after Death....

Post 28

Existential Elevator

I wa thinking...umm.....still wearing the same jeans in 20 years time without changing them smiley - winkeye...........smiley - yuk

Consumerism is evil.


Life after Death....

Post 29

friendlywithteeth

it is....but why?


Life after Death....

Post 30

Existential Elevator

Because it is so easy to forget what happens behind that pair of jeans...if you see what I mean.... What environmental damage did making those jeans cause<?> Who suffered to weave them<?> All we see is the cold, impersonal end product.


Life after Death....

Post 31

friendlywithteeth

Wow!! You put a lot of thought into that!

Have you read No Logo By Naomi Klein? It's a really good book!


Life after Death....

Post 32

Existential Elevator

I'm afraid that's just my normal depressive take on life.....*shrug* But thanks smiley - smiley

No, I haven't. Is it good<?>


Life after Death....

Post 33

friendlywithteeth

It's not depressive...its true!

It is, hard to get through, but I thought [well as much as I do smiley - winkeye] it was good!


Life after Death....

Post 34

Existential Elevator

No Logo by Naomi Klein<?> I'll heve to look out for that...

*adds another one to the list*

Do you sometimes think we never should have bothered coming down from the trees<?>


Life after Death....

Post 35

friendlywithteeth

That implies that we ever came down from the trees in the first place...


Life after Death....

Post 36

Captain Venom: (Making his triumphant return to H2G2!) Proud Keeper of ...

Regarding money, if I may...

Money has no value except that which we attribute to it, but if we all decided to say it has no value, we would never be able to buy or sell anything. No employer pays in gold. Without a measure of value, we go back to inefficient barter.


Life after Death....

Post 37

friendlywithteeth

I've had a similar conversation with Maggy on 360 about this: if money were to be abolished, then it would re-emerge in a different form: it's necessary.


Life after Death....

Post 38

Existential Elevator

Unfortunately, that's true.

Nobody will give you something for nothing.


Life after Death....

Post 39

friendlywithteeth

No: because then they will have nothing, and will expect people to do the same...but are always worried that people won't reciprocate.


Life after Death....

Post 40

Captain Venom: (Making his triumphant return to H2G2!) Proud Keeper of ...

And the only way to stop that worry is to have a government enforce "something for nothing", and hence we get command socialism, aka communism.


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