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Kieran Sharp

snowboard coach, blue mile snowsports

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Can we change, can we live without money?

Ancient civilisations achieved a great deal, when focusing their efforts upon whichever problem needed to be solved. Energy, water, food etc.

Where previous civilisations failed to meet the needs of their people we now have the opportunity to learn from them and with greater numbers than has ever been on this planet before.

However we have been distracted for generations.

Our efforts are focussed on acquiring, chasing, and losing money, while real issues such as providing fresh drinking water, food, and energy to all humanity are ignored by the majority of us.

The problem with money has become so complex and yet its source energy is greed, and we know this to be destructive in all forms of relationship.

Why would we continue to face the world’s problems using the biggest source of distraction in humanity to get us there?

It is insanity to believe that we need “new world order” and world currency to solve these issues.

A thought:

Imagine everyone today who’s role in human civilisation is to protect and serve money (bankers, accountants, so on and so on) where to be suddenly un-employed.
What figure would that be?
How many working hours would there be available for other more productive tasks in society?

Imagine there is no money. What do we need? How much of it do we need?

Can we meet our needs as a civilisation with the quantities we require vs the amount of time and human energy we have?
Can we stand as ONE to achieve this?

There are more questions, there are more problems, change is coming one way or another, and time is running out.

Topics: borrowing money choice money debt free money money money and your self worth money supply money-free money-laundering no money
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    Stefan H. Farr

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    Oct 15 2012: We see everything around us in terms of property. The more we own, the more we are. "I own therefore I am". We place almost no value on virtues like integrity, empathy, open mindedness, discipline, reliability, etc. Sadly, in this world of us, humans are disposable, property is not. Money however is only necessary as a means to transact property. You can't grow or acquire your inner values by means of money. If we learn to value those things over property, money will become obsolete. Until then the answer is no, we cannot live without money.
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      Krisztián Pintér 200+

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      TED Translator
      Oct 15 2012: " We see everything around us in terms of property. The more we own, the more we are."

      you see things that way?
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        Stefan H. Farr

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        Oct 16 2012: I personally don't but we as a society do. "We", the society is not necessarily all of us, it is the majority, in this case an overwhelming majority. Me and a few others that think differently must conform to this majority and compromise a great deal of what we believe because the paradigm shift is so great that otherwise we would be squashed out of existence. What we can do is small steps, which I do, talk to people, find other like me or similar believes and when we will be many than we can take ever greater steps. And if we are successful, maybe not me but generations down the road, the majority will adopt the model and the world changes. I really cannot know which is the correct way to go, but what I know is that what it is today is wrong.
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          Krisztián Pintér 200+

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          TED Translator
          Oct 16 2012: you see, this sounds much more honest. you are a victim of other people's greed, you say. that a valid position, though i think not true. i don't think majority of people would focus too much on material wealth. mostly they don't focus on anything. but to some degree many focuses on nonmaterial things among materials. i'm not convinces we are out of balance in that regard.
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        Stefan H. Farr

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        Oct 16 2012: I am not a victim, I am sorry you sensed that in my reply. I am actually doing ok, in this materialist world. That does not stop me from seeing that things are not alright.

        You say people are not focusing on material wealth? Everything is about material wealth. People work, cheat, steal, even kill for it. And I am talking literally not figuratively.

        On my last trip to Budapest, I happened to sit on the tram exactly where the ticket puncher was positioned. A person climbed on the next stop and positioned himself closely to the puncher. I found him to be uncomfortably close to me so I couldn't help but look at his actions. From the way he was holding a ticket in his hand that he was not going to punch it, unless the controllers climbed aboard. This would not be so interesting to this topic, but then his phone rang and he picked out a brand new iPhone from his pocket. Even if I give this guy the benefit of the doubt and say that the poor guy is hitching a free ride because he cannot afford to pay for it, I have to place him in the "poor bastard" category who will spend his last dime to pay for an expensive gadget so that he could present himself as having more than he actually has.

        This guy is not alone, the vast majority of people are like that. I am sorry but I have to radically contradict you: their heads might be empty, as in they don't focus on anything, but they sure focus on at least on thing: having more and being able to show it.

        • Andrey Kurchatoff

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          Oct 16 2012: Stefan the points you made here ctually worth for is it.
          But can you say something from the name of society?
          Can you say we but not be part of it?
          I think, the ideas your are presenting here is coming from your experiences and and people you see around you. I do think you should say people or perssonally instead of we.
          Best wishes,
          Andrey
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          Krisztián Pintér 200+

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          TED Translator
          Oct 16 2012: did i say people don't focus on material wealth? i said they don't do that too much. we don't want to live in a world in which material things don't count at all. i personally don't want, at least. i do want computers, cellphones, medicine, fast travel, heating, proper clothing, space exploration, science museums, bridges and the list is endless.

          as you probably aware, i'm kind of well informed about the situation in budapest. so i can also inform you that it is much more a cultural issue than material. the same people are very happy to pay one euro for a farting app for their iphone, approx the same sum as a ticket. not buying a ticket is basically a form of defiance, a personal revolution against the powers that be. so in fact it is a nonmaterial thing, and you should be proud of it.

          but if people are so much material, how do you explain the success of kiva, for example?

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