money

Human concerns before money

c/o Forbes

Before money was invented, humans were concerned with the following five things:

  1. Status
    Humans have always been concerned with their social status and their place in society. This includes their reputation, position, and influence in their community.

  2. Certainty
    Humans have always had a need for certainty and predictability in their lives. This includes a sense of security, stability, and the ability to plan for the future.

  3. Autonomy
    Humans have a need for autonomy and the ability to control their own lives. This includes the freedom to make their own decisions and the ability to pursue their own goals and interests.

  4. Relatedness
    Humans have a need for social connection and the ability to form relationships with others. This includes a sense of belonging and the ability to establish meaningful connections with family, friends, and community members.

  5. Fairness
    Humans have always been concerned with fairness and justice. This includes a sense of equality and the ability to receive a fair share of resources and opportunities.

I think although money has become an important aspect of our lives, these fundamental concerns continue to be important to us as humans.

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You can afford everything but not anything!

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A fundamental principle of micro-economics is that every choice has an opportunity cost. Economists commonly place a value on time to convert an opportunity cost in time into a monetary figure. In other words, opportunity costs represent the potential benefits an individual, investor, or business misses out on when choosing one alternative over another. I think every choice that you make is a trade-off against something else and this does not just apply to your money - it also applies to your time, energy and attention to any limited resource that you need to manage.


The idea of opportunity costs is a major concept in our lives. Saying yes to one thing implicitly means saying no to countless other alternatives and this opens us up to two questions:

  1. What really matters to you? I do not mean what society says should and I do not eat what you previously thought may matter to you. I mean when you take that deep dive and examine yourself, what truly matters in your life.

  2. How do you align your daily, weekly or yearly decisions in a way that reflects that?

Starting with your daily objectives, as answering these two questions is a daily practice and as lost time can be a significant component of opportunity cost, therefore, why are you waiting? Contact me via e-mail for coaching, consulting, workshops or lecturing opportunities.

I can help

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I continuously wonder when will we move away from the socialised metrics of success and embrace internal measures of success. As we create more and more wealth we will have to decide whether it is OK that this wealth is going into the hands of fewer and fewer people. The big question in the not too distant future will be, “Where will our status role models and social hierarchies come from? I do not think they will be the people who have made the most money. Send me an e-mail and let me know what you think.