Once the level of the money supply begins to dwindle, then invariably our level of stress begins to go sky high. From an evolutionary standpoint, money has become the ultimate yet elusive lubricant, a seductive yet critical and vital resource which makes us tick for our very survival.
Therefore, the trail which money leads needs to be explored. It does not really have a face or identity, nor does it really belong to anyone. Money when it’s in virtual liquid form, can slither snake like through anyone’s fingers who has possession of it. It can be lost, found or earned in an instant. The momentary possession of this elusive cash can dissipate in a flash, it can be given to you or be immediately stolen from you.
Money For Nothing
When you go out to a fine restaurant, for instance, what you’re doing is instantly intrusting that you’re given food on short term credit. You first have the meal and upon satisfaction you then hand over a piece of plastic to the server, some stranger, in complete trust, who disappears out of sight to tally up the bill. They then return back with the credit card, where you sign a promissory note that you’ll pay for the meal sometime in the future.
Every action that you partake on the everyday common exchange of goods is based completely on trust. First, was the quality of the food as promised up to par, would the server even return back with your credit card would the server receive the full gratuity which you left on the payment at the end of the night.
Trust In Each Other
Trusting others has become an enormous leap in evolutionary faith for humanity. We are not the strongest, nor are we the quickest or the biggest of animal species. But we like to think that we’re the smartest and the furthest evolved. What humans were able to do was evolve by forming social groups which significantly increased our chance of survival.
This survival became the root of trust, trusting in each other. This trust required faith for a sacrifice or a task which was made today. The majority of the economic system that we have developed is based solely on this human relationship of trust.
When you don’t have adequate cash in your pocket, you then cannot fulfill the promise or the obligation that you made of paying someone back in full at a later date for the resource or goods which you received today.
When this money becomes of short supply, because of job layoff or unexpected costs, such as sudden illness, your stress level exponentially increases. This because of the anxiety that’s created by your diminished ability of filling your promised obligations which you’ve made by not being able to keep those repayment promises.
If you no longer have income, and you eventually run out of money, how then will you be able to feed yourself, pay your bills, keep your car, pay your mortgage or rent. Your thoughts then become a total primal need for survival.
Stress Becomes Natural
Becoming stressed out is a natural reaction and a natural survival mechanism. We all experience stress to varying degrees. If it isn’t your own stress which impedes your progress, then it’s often someone else’s stress which gets in the way.
Once someone loses their job and the income stops or decreases, this loss of cash flow increases the level of stress directly on the people who’s connected to that person as well.
The product which they were planning to purchase, but can no longer afford affects the vendor who’s selling that product. Or you can no longer meet your car payments or mortgage, which directly impacts the value of your home as well as creating additional work for the lender.
Money Trust Stress
So how do we solve this problem that is stress. Essentially, what we do is ultimately rely on others, and then choose the most practical or logical solution while anticipating the long term consequence based on those actions.
We’re held accountable as well as responsible for the direction of what we do. We also have an influence on what happens next. But what can we do about it today, is there a way to help each other with our stress levels.
There are ways to help others under these circumstances at all times. Opening a door, allowing someone to enter first, becoming a useful resource, treating others with respect.
What respect leads towards is value. Value then leads to trust. Trusting others leads to the possibility of sharing resources which ultimately leads all of us to be more successful.