An Inevitable Creation

Ever since the earliest forms of society emerged, humans have taken on to the concept of exchanging one favour for another one in return. Basic rational thought called for a system in which both parties could benefit from each others’ strengths in order to increase their odds of survival in a world that was both chaotic, and full of unknowns.

Soon enough, the realisation came that it would be easier to introduce the idea of an item, one that could be symbolic for a favour. It was preferable for that item to be relatively rare and hard to duplicate. It didn’t take very long for the idea of a small, circular, metallic object to emerge in the history books.

Behold: The Coin.

Humanity embraced the idea fully. Capitalism entrenched itself deeply within our society, in what became the start of a symbiotic relationship between humanity and tender.

And boy, did it help us. For a while.

Money became the very fire that brightly lit the engines of innovation. Humanity awoke with thunderous force, and started slamming its mighty fists on the doors to heaven. Relentlessly so.

It, very much, pushed humanity forward.

Starvation and disease gave way for modern agriculture and medicine. Intensive labour and unanswered questions, gave way for mechanical replacements and empirical research.

Problems were solved, one after another. At first, by individuals; soon after, by these peculiar collectives that started calling themselves “governments”. A world without order, was after all, a world without a reliable monetary system.

And before we knew it, the relationship became toxic.

It wasn’t a symbiotic relationship anymore, it was an abusive one.

Both those with, and those without, became obsessed about it.

So much so that our shared origins were quickly forgotten, and that, in favour of the search for what made us different, rather than the same.

At first, it was the countries.

Then, it became the villages we’re from.

Now, we’re down to family.

Will we go any further?