© T.H. Warrior – Tender Hearted Warriors
– S.S.P. & E.L.C.
„The Athenian Demades“ condemned a citizen of his city whose profession was selling coffins at a very high price because his profit would have never been achieved if it wasn’t by the death of so many people. Demades found this to be wrong since the worker could only profit at the expense of others, and therefore any profit of his must be condemned.
Aristotle made a fundamental distinction between economics, ethics, and chrematistics – where money and morality part ways.
Economics is the teaching of the household, of the supply of the household, whereby household is to be understood as a community of life and economy. It is based on nature and its products, on goods that are necessary and useful for life, and is therefore natural.
In an opposite point of view, chrematistics is the art of the merchants. Trading does not do any justice to self-sufficiency, but rather goes far beyond what would be necessary in the first place. It strives for pleasure in abundance, serves personal enrichment, and leads to an insatiable pursuit of wealth, and then the phenomenon of „general scarcity of goods“ occurs.
Nowadays, moralists complain that money has become the only valid value. No one is worth more than their bank account. I asked myself: „why complain?“ Morality is not about making people sad, depressed, or greedy for more. Besides, moralists are doubly wrong:
First of all, money represents every form of morality. Initially, money was introduced as a means of exchange between merchants. It was only after the introduction of the intrinsic value of money when people realized they could trade the currency without the goods.
„It was only after the introduction of the intrinsic value of money when people realized they could trade the currency without the goods“
T.H. Warrior
Secondly, by defining money as either good or evil, we hide another natural problem of our society, where money measures social values. Society regards the value of people not in their strength, honor, reputation, or courage – in the end, it all comes down to money. Being rich or poor divides our society itself, and by criticizing the mean that separates people, we are rewriting the question and not solving it.
„By criticizing the mean that separates people, we are rewriting the question and not solving it“
T.H. Warrior
For the past few decades, everything has become about money. It is believed to be the only prism of our existence, our only motivation, our only value. I sometimes find myself confused by this emptiness and especially by the certainty that I witness daily. All human actions are judged according to their only monolithic identification grid: money. A free act, the desire to help one another, to share, to truly love seems foreign to everyone. Even the most trivial acts have become a source of mistrust. If I want to help an elderly person carry their heavy bags, I must reassure them that I will not run away with their groceries. When I hold the door for someone to let them in, I must have an agenda, right?
„All human actions are judged according to their only monolithic identification grid: money“
T.H. Warrior
People are paranoid; everyone is suspicious. Our classical values are no longer valid; helping the elderly was once the greatest reward itself. Where has the chivalrous spirit, honor, dignity gone?
Why and when did money become the center of our society?
It was a combination of several factors. The economic crisis made it possible to distress the middle class by establishing an economic and psychological disequilibrium. People’s jobs became a „chance“, a precious asset that had to be defended, preserved. To take advantage of every opportunity, to keep their job, to be able to consume every corner of this hustle and bustle the employees accepted everything: pressure, overtime without pay, downgrading, and little or no commission. Most companies were no longer a place of work where they fulfilled people’s needs, but a battlefield filled with competition and high tension. Whoever cracked was no longer a part of the hunger games.
Employees themselves contributed to the appreciation process of money. They put salt on open wounds. And they were taught and trained how to fish in mud. This all led to one thing: losing your job was no longer just about losing your income; it was also about losing your identity.
Ask people to introduce themselves. What comes up after their names?
„Money Makes You Happy“:
This is the common narrative: in order to be happy, you have to consume. Faith, money, and love consumption; without these three, our whole reality ceases to exist. To consume you need money, to have money you need a job, to have a job you need an education, to have an education you need money or you’ll consume government funds. Moneymakers aren’t happier; instead, they have gotten more aggressive. At work, they obey and follow orders. At home, they give them.
This internal violence is instrumentalized by journalists and the very moralists who criticize money. When an executive is dismissed, and they commit suicide, you’ll often read the following in the morning paper: „A young accountant throws himself off the bridge the day after he gets fired.“ This proves that people’s identity is linked to their work. They are no longer Mr. Smith or Miss Simms, but professors, doctors, or engineers. They are nothing but the young accountant. This shows us the guilt-inducing power of the media.
Our society is more or less moving towards sheer narcissism. Our Ego has become the center of our actions and daily decisions. Individualism is progressing everywhere, even between couples. However, there is still some hope left back at home, where people don’t need to put a wall around themselves. But still, dating sites have become the new norm. They are the dating supermarkets. We consume, but we commit little because there is always the possibility of finding better. There will always be someone richer, more beautiful, more intelligent, more muscular. The pool of options is constantly renewed as easily and fast, like bed sheets in a hotel; A frenzy of consumption that affects the relationships between human beings.
The matter of money has progressed tremendously. The idea that everyone we come across is not a potential friend, but a potent threat has become evident, almost undeniable.
Woe to this vanquished victory! We would kill to keep our jobs, our salary, our money, our consumption. Because ultimately, it is our identity that is on the market of society. We then have the big-bang effect: Only then do we enjoy our money when our consumption triggers everybody else’s greed and jealousy.
Our value will not be valid unless it has social recognition.
Money, liquidity, has become our only solid reality.
All of this for what?
To widen the social division? Or contribute to it?