Money - A friend or hidden foe?

"Money is the most universal and most efficient method of mutual trust ever devised." ~ Yuval Noah Harari (The Bestselling author of  'Sapiens -A Brief History of Humankind')

(Src: https://pixnio.com/)

The vindication of humankind is money, a predominant, wondrous universal phenomenon that can turn the wheel towards the affluent. It is the underlying of all civilizations, religions, globalization, and history.

History and Evolution of Money:

The evolution of money is as enticing as money itself:

(Src: https://www.evolutionira.com/evolution-of-money/ )

• The first regulated coins were introduced around 640 BC by King Alyattes of Lydia in western Anatolia (present-day Turkey). These coins made of the electrum (an alloy of gold and silver) had a standardized weight and were imprinted with an identification mark. This mark testified two things: 
1. Weight of the precious metal in the coin.
2. The authority that issued the coin and guaranteed its contents.
• Most of the currency in use today is the descendent of these coins.
• The first paper bills were used by the Chinese during the Tang Dynasty(AD 618-907).  The notes issued by private parties instead of central authorities and were abandoned due to rampant inflation. China did not start using paper money again until 1455.
• The first European banknotes were issued by Stockholms Banco (founded by Johan Palmstruch in 1657), a predecessor of Sweden's central bank Sveriges Riksbank, in 1661.  The bank issued credit notes that could be exchanged, on the presentation to the bank, for a stated number of silver coins. The bank printed more money than it could redeem with silver coins and eventually became bankrupt.
• From the dynasties to governments, the money kept getting evolved. The central banks from each country were set up in the 19th century to regulate the money supply to its citizens.
• Further, with the development of Digital Money, the money movement became fast and secured. Examples are:
• Credit Cards - created in 1950. 
• ATM - Automated Teller Machines, appeared in 1967 at a Barclay's Bank Branch, London). 
• Mobile banking - It was first offered by European Banks in 1999 as SMS banking.
• Cryptocurrency - Bitcoin was the first decentralized currency created in 2009, presumably, by the pseudonymous Satoshi Nakamoto. 

Money twinkles in humans' eyes:

• Money was created to save time and hassle. It started out as a slave and gradually became the master of human lives. 
• It took over almost all the human aspects. It became the deciding factor of the status of men, their scope, freedom, security, and hierarchy in society. 
• The riches of life, the VIP tickets, business class air travels, or even owning a private jet can be relished through money.
• Almost everything you see, observe, and encounter takes money as input. The governments run on money, charity is done out of money. Even the path to salvation is tied to money.
• Let me give you an example, every religion has its own way to salvation. A sin is substandard if a human has money to seek God's forgiveness by donating to the worship places and feeding the poor. 
• Of course, there are other cost-effective ways to pursue redemption by maintaining inexorable faith in the Almighty and praying to seek forgiveness. During the tribulation, we run to our respective worship places (and running them cost money) and sequence our efforts for the mercy of God as directed by his messenger, the priest (which is definitely not cost-effective).
• Another affordable solution that the Hindu Indians consider for deliverance is bathing in the Holy River Ganga in Banaras, Uttar Pradesh. For washing away your sins, you need to pay for travel, lodging, dining, and buying souvenirs. Also, cleaning the polluted Holy River Ganga that has been providing a path to salvation to us for centuries selflessly costs money. 
• Whatever crosses your mind, basal would be money. Nothing comes free.
• Money is put to generate more money. Be it education, businesses, travel, or place of worship.
• Money has generated jobs, income, cooperation, and trust. Two people may ridicule or loathe each other, then too, they are ready to remain in a transaction if the money is involved. Once the money goes out of the scene, trust and cooperation follow it like the tamed slaves.
• Sometimes I get amused by the inescapable charm of money.  In India, especially in Tier-2 to Tier-6 cities and by our older generations, Dalits are not allowed inside the house. But, the coins touched by them are offered in the shrine of our homes and that too, without sanitizing.

"Paise ke chamatkar ko mera namaskar h." (I bow in front of the brilliance of money).

Although money has no intrinsic value, it is the most valuable tool ever devised to value the worth of almost everything on earth, be it an object or a human.

• With Money's majestic advantages, there comes a hidden cost too - Peace of Mind.
• Money does not let us rest, it keeps us pushing for more. 
• We don't realize the opportunity cost that is associated with money. Love is often compromised for gold. I used to miss my kid terribly during office hours and wished to spend time with him. Still, I went to work every day because, at the end of the month, I was paid for working, not for loving. 
• From our daily lives, we can pick numerous examples and things we do for money. Humans cheat, steal, and even kill for money.
• While thriving for money, we, humans, have lost the difference between needs and wants. The complex nervous system of our brains has been bombarded with unnecessary information about useless things. This confusion of ours has been encashed by many.
• We really need to stop and think, what is worth more love, relations, nature, or money? Is money getting more attention than its worth or passion deserves a chance too? 
• The involvement of money in an arrangement has indeed made the exchange of goods and services fast and convenient. But, it has secured a far higher place than it deserved in the human race. We need to ponder, is it really a friend or a hidden foe?

Have a good day :-).

Further Reads on History of Money :

• Britannica
• Investopedia
• Wikipedia