The Song of the Grasshopper

money

noun, often attributive \ˈmə-nē\
: something (such as coins or bills) used as a way to pay for goods and services and to pay people for their work

“Today we associate money with the profane, and for good reason. If anything is sacred in this world, it is surely not money. Money seems to be the enemy of our better instincts, as is clear every time the thought “I can’t afford to” blocks an impulse toward kindness or generosity. Money seems to be the enemy of beauty, as the disparaging term “a sellout” demonstrates. Money seems to be the enemy of every worthy social and political reform, as corporate power steers legislation toward the aggrandizement of its own profits. Money seems to be destroying the earth, as we pillage the oceans, the forests, the soil, and every species to feed a greed that knows no end.” –Charles Eisenstein, Sacred Economics

 

It’s no surprise that as a CPA and a Banker, my life is riddled with money.  I measure it, report on it, forecast it, budget it, and spend it.  Yield curves, present values, bond prices, and interest rates rule my world.  What do all these things really mean?  Why do we value money the way they do? How do our views and assumptions of money affect our behaviors? These questions and more have been flowing through my mind a lot lately.  My BGI experience has given me a new outlook on the meaning and purpose of money and I dare say a rug has been pulled out from underneath me.   

I recently was tasked with reading a powerful book, Sacred Economics by Charles Eisenstein, which traced the history of money from ancient economies to modern day capitalism.  Money has had a profound impact on our civilization and shaped us in more negative ways then we care to admit.Reading this book left me feeling depressed but hopeful for the future.  Without fundamentally changing our assumptions around money and the pedestal we place money on, economic turmoil is bound to happen again.  

One of the most profound points within this book, and one that I've also heard from many of my classmates, is the idea of bringing back gifting and bartering.  When you give a gift with no strings attached or trade goods and services, trust within our fellow human beings flourishes.  This trust binds communities and strengthens relationships.  Einstein states that “Community is not some add-on to our other needs, not a separate ingredient for happiness along with food, shelter, music, touch, intellectual stimulation and other forms of physical and spiritual nourishment.  Community arises from the meeting of these needs.”  Why is it that each house in our neighborhood owns a lawn mower that is only used for 10 hours each summer?  Why has it become so normal to value the goods we purchase just as much (if not more than) as the relationships we value?  We've become a society that focuses more and more on our individual needs and not the needs of our communities.  Imagine a world where community evolves naturally from our actions and supports and values its members equally.  Imagine the feelings you have when you spend time with loved ones during the holidays and the joy you feel from their care, love and support.  What if you could feel that more often?

Trust is the crux of our relationships with friends, family, doctors, co-workers, political leaders and everyone we interact with.  Without trust the true purpose of relationships ceases to exist and we truly can’t get to where we’re trying to go.   An absence of trust creates dysfunction and enables an environment in which productivity and happiness cannot prosper.  No matter how you slice it, trust plays a fundamental role within our lives and money can damage that trust.    

The great thing about Eisenstein’s book was that he makes suggestions for alternative practices that will “fix” our broken economy, help to redeploy the community spirit and invigorate the respect that is needed for the well-being of our planet.   Although some of the concepts were hard to wrap my head around, such as negative-interest, I was truly inspired by his ideas.   He helped me to envision a different type of economy where life is a bit more simplistic and relationships are more meaningful and less superficial.

The underlying theme of Sacred Economics is very similar to other articles, videos and books I've been exposed to at BGI.  My eyes and ears are awaiting more.  I have a new view of the negative effects our money system has and seeing things more in this light has given me clarity I wouldn't have expected.  This student grasshopper is changing and the chirps I make will be much more meaningful going forward.