The Ascent of Money Chapter 1: Money and Power

In my opinion, money and human behavior have always been and will continue to be closely intertwined. Money has always been a concrete exhibition of power, a relatively abstract concept that humans are hardwired to seek. Since money is the system we use to acquire things that we want/need, having it gives us a sense of security and a sense of control or power over our situation. I think that money has related to behavior in this way throughout time through all of its forms. 

Looking at the barter system, one of the earliest forms of trade and money, we can see how this is true. If you have an item or high quantity of items that are desirable, it gives you more power to be choosier with what you trade them for in order to get what you need and want. In this case, as with most early forms of trading and money mentioned in the first chapter, all your items stand for a concrete thing, using things that you have. As money continued to evolve through, it became much more abstract. We saw in this chapter how money went from precious metals to paper to credit. No matter the form though, the outcome is the same: money is power in the majority of human societies. Additionally, as it became more abstract, its potential uses and influences grew. 

Since money gives individuals a sense of power and control, for the most part, they are relatively careful with it. However, as money has evolved into loans and credit and other more abstract forms, I think there is a tendency for some people to be less careful with it since it is not something concrete that they can see. I think the media also plays a role in this. People hear enough stories of risky investments paying off big, that they might put their money in riskier places thinking that the same things will happen for them, which is rare if they are not investing smartly or are uneducated about the stock market.