>Ultimately, 'money' boils down to how one is paid. In early societies, a
>shaman was an attractive niche in this economic matrix. (I think....)
>
>I am not a deconstructive economist- ;-) this could well be very flaky
>crust on an unfilled tart. It's all an attempt on my part to explain why
>people are led to believe in the 'non-physical'. ;-) Cuz I don't.
>
>But what was 'money' back when the world was young? One could produce it,
>through goods or the hunt, one could reproduce it, through wives and
>children (or through husbands and children), or one could create a need
>for it, through shamanism. It is always attached to power, and to comfort.
I agree with this.
The only thing I would point out is that the three "categories" aren't different
in the sense that a person can be one and not the others (well, and still be
functional.
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A parable:
On of my co-workers suggested I accompany him and his S.O. yard sale
shopping.
Mike: "It's cool. You get out of lab and kind of drive around...see lots
of stuff. It's fun to look through people's stuff. I don't buy much, but
I keep a little money in my pocket in case I want something."
I was intrigued...and one day when he was on vacation and Nancy (the S.O.)
wanted someone go with I agreed. She, I , and Jen (another friend) went.
At some point half-way through she asked me why I hadn't purchased anything.
Reed: "Well, I don't really need anything."
Nancy: "You're missing the point. The point is to GENERATE a need and
then SATISFY it. It doesn't matter what. Just WANT something and BUY it."
She bought a brass hall-tree for $10. Ugliest thing I have EVER seen.
She loved it. We still talk about it. She tinkers with it, polishes it up...
I have no doubt when she is done, it will be something I would have
BEGGED to purchase...but while I was so caught up in my:
Reed: "Well, I don't really need anything."
She saw somthing WITHIN that brass monstrosity. The whole thing was a
small act of
self-re-creation
or, if you like, shamanism.
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So, don't dis the magician so hard. There is such a thing as "white magic".
Reed
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Reed Konsler konsler@ascat.harvard.edu
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