- [How Money Forever Changed Us - More To That](https://moretothat.com/how-money-forever-changed-us/) - The support one would get in an all-encompassing primitive society cannot be replicated today, as people are a part of many circles, but are not wholly devoted to one. - The multiplicity of social and cultural circles fosters individuality, but it can also make you feel alone in the decisions you must make - Modernity pushes us away from unification and into specialization - While specialization can foster progress, it can come with a sense of isolation. - As a society trends out of scarcity and into one of abundance, Simmel states that a “tragedy of culture” begins to emerge. This is when you realize the sheer potential of what’s out there, but that you’ll never have the time or energy to master them all. It’s when you realize that you’ll never read all the books (even in just one subject of interest), visit all the places in the world, or meet all the people you find interesting. - It’s when you realize that your potential is constrained by the shelf life you’re born with - Materialism isn’t about the accumulation of goods. It’s about the fulfillment of possibilities. - There’s a delicate balance one must walk when money and individuality are tightly knit in this way. On one side is the recognition that money can help broaden your interests, and on the other is the belief that your interests are defined by how much money you have. - . So understanding this, it’s important to engage in individual pursuits that have no tie to an income or earnings potential. - Regardless of the format, it’s important to engage in an endeavor that will deemphasize the allure of an aggregate income, which will help slow the Hamster Wheel down in turn - My biggest “a-ha” moment while reading Simmel was the realization that money gives us entrance into a plethora of social and cultural circles. This only grows with modernity, giving us unprecedented opportunities to build our sense of self. - While this promotes diversity, it also leads to emptiness. That’s what happens when you’re a small part of everything, but a whole part of none. - Today it’s important not just to cap material consumption, but to also hone in one’s individuality. To encourage us to go deeper, not wider. - It’s about realizing that the wide distribution of your identity doesn’t make you distinct and unique. - It just makes you conflicted and confused. - Everything about money is a paradox in this way. Whatever is true on one side has an equally relevant truth on the opposite end. - Money has no intrinsic value of its own, but it is the universal determinant of value. - Money cannot buy happiness, but it buys the freedom required for happiness. - The able man must pursue money, but the dying man will regret that he ever did. - All perspectives are true. - But if we take the time to look closer, we’ll see that a middle-ground exists. A place where our [[fear]]s could be calmed, and our desires could be curtailed. A place where the quest for money falls only to what is essential. - In a world where neither scarcity nor abundance will do, perhaps the closest solution to the great paradox comes down to one principle: - The ability to recognize when we have enough