Money is something majority think about on a day to day basis, but is money truly the route to happiness? Many people work hard and base all their goals to lead to one thing, being rich and having money of course. All your stress and hard work to make money to buy the things you want and need is how most people live their lives. Some say money can buy you happiness and give you the life you always wished for, but does it really lead to happiness. People put all their focus on money and this leads them to be stressed and depressed and just overall tired as at the end of they day they may not be a so called millionaire. IS it really worth chasing this goal to be wealthy in return for happiness and relief and does it really have any value at all? People can be broke and have no money at all but be much more happy than the millionaire who has multiple cars and homes. A good family and a group of friends can possibly be all you need for some fun and joy in your life, even a pet can bring you more joy than a new BMW you just purchased the other week. Sure your happy at first when you buy that car but eventually you get bored and move on with things, no longer getting that same excitement from it. I have slowly began realizing that money no longer has the same value to me as it used to and maybe taking that job that you like more but doesn’t pay as well is the correct choice for me as I believe money is valued differently by everyone around the world. Id much rather chose doing something I enjoy and being around people I love than earning more money but constantly dreading going to work each day. Many people value many things just like how we used to value money differently then we do now.

Money is viewed differently by many, for example back then the Yap used limestone as a form of currency and would trade it for different items or services between each other. In Milton Friedman’s article “Island of Stone Money” he explains that although they didn’t have many metals, instead they had beautiful limestones in which they called “fei”. Friedman says that “Their medium of exchange they call fei, and it consists of large, solid, thick, stone wheels, ranging in diameter from a foot to twelve feet, having in the centre a hole varying in size with the diameter of the stone, wherein a pole may be inserted sufficiently large and strong to bear the weight and facility transportation”. The interesting part about using these huge stones as a currency is the fact that when the stones were too big to transport, they would instead just bare the acknowledgement of who the new owner is and the stone would remain at the former owners premises. This seems so crazy to me as if someone tried that in todays society people would think they are crazy. It’s like trying to go to a store and purchase an item and when the cashier asks for the money you say you have it but it’s at your home.

In todays society we use paper bills, checks, coins, and banks to exchange money and value. As the world slowly moves on it seems that we are also starting to change our ways of currency too as crypto or cryptocurrency is starting to be a new way of paying instead of cash and coins. We use cards and other contactless ways of paying now more than ever and with money not having to be physically in hand its even used to buy things in video games to help level up a player. Older video games made you have to earn your money in game by completing missions or side quests to buy gear and other items to help you out. Now video games instead offer a so called shortcut by allowing you spend your hard earned cash to buy in game currency. Josh Coulson speaks about this in game currency in his article about Smash Bros. Ultimate and how your already paying sixty dollars for the game and now these coin bundles that you can purchase with real money for a bit of a head start if your too lazy to earn the coins yourself in game. Although adults would say this is stupid and question why anyone would purchase these in game coins with real money don’t realize many of the kids playing the game get roped into buying the coins to purchase a cool skin or item in the game that you can’t usually obtain.

Money is looked at and valued differently but it always has the same purpose and plays a huge part in our world today. The Yap and their stones is no different then Americans and their dollars both can get you what you want and need. Money may change its shape and size but its worth and value in todays society will ever change whether your paying with coins or with crypto it still has a value to people and power to buy what you want with the right amount.

References:

Friedman, Milton. (1991). “The Island of Stone Money” (WordPress.com)

Coulson, Josh. (2019). “Smash Bros. Ultimate Lets you Spend Money on in game Currency” https://www.thegamer.com/super-smash-bros-ultimate-money-ingame-currency/