Energy As Currency?
Written By John
What if Joules (a unit of energy) was also the unit of currency?
If we were paid in units of energy and we were only able to consume the amount of energy we had on account, that might change a few things.
It seems like it might address some of the problems with fiat currencies and offer the major benefits of backed currencies with an additional benefit: the more creative and resourceful we collectively become in terms of figuring out how to generate energy, the more the whole “system” could grow and the better off everyone could be.
Not sure how that would be implemented, and there are lots of potential pit falls but I think it’s an interesting idea. Something to think more about!
Capitalism And Free Markets Require Civility
Written By John
I think the problem is rarely with the system. I think the problem is usually with the monkeys who make and use the systems (us). Capitalism and free markets will work a lot better when we, as a society, become civilized enough to use them constructively as tools that make us all better off.
But as long as we’re still dragging our knuckles and defining utility exclusively in personal/self-centered terms, I think some intervention is required, including having some things – like health care – socialized.
I’m all for capitalism and sensible free markets that are used responsibly, but trusting ourselves (in our current state) with completely free markets and full privatization is about as smart as trusting children with chain saws because only the most aggressive, least sensitive and least empathetic will be left standing.
When Do You Need Your Next Dollar?
Written By John
When do you need the very next dollar you earn? At first that seems like a strange question to ask, but it’s actually a very good way to think about money.
Some people have a lot of money and some people don’t. And that’s ok. But one of the things that’s problematic when we don’t have a lot of money is the size of the hurdle we have to overcome in order to feel like we do have some.
For many people that hurdle is a number they feel they have to reach – some number of dollars in the bank or some number of weeks/months/years they can live without income.
Instead of thinking that way though, if we think in terms of when we need the very next dollar we earn, we are using a metric that gives both immediate results and a satisfying sense of progress almost right away. Read More »
