You’ve heard this before. Did you realize how true it is?
The more we change, the more we stay the same. Here’s an interesting illustration.
People have sought surplus resources for as long as there have been people. And this has always symbolized status and social standing.
Researchers have uncovered evidence from the end of the last Ice Age (11,000 years ago) that our ancient forebears feasted on lavish meals. At least, they were lavish by the standards of the day.
They know this because they have found evidence of chili peppers. These have little nutritional value, yet were gathered and some suspect even cultivated for their flavor.
Scientists suggest that they were used in feasts intended to form alliances with neighboring clans and/or secure mates. In any case, they were part of the prehistoric version of “lifestyles of the rich and famous.”
I expect that that the same thoughts and feelings were at play in that day as in this. The drive to better one’s lot in life, even before money as we know it, was just as powerful when the glaciers melted as in the day of documentaries about melting glaciers.
No doubt, the feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment at having thrown such a party is essentially the same. And so is the sense of having accomplished one’s objective such as trade, alliance, or a mate.
Even though such an event may have been more of a community effort than it might be today, some leader must have thought up the plan, inspired people, and managed the project to completion. The good vibes that come with accomplishment and all that surplus resources bring with it must have felt just as empowering then as it does today.
So here’s the lesson. You are the modern-day version of achievers dating back to time immemorial. Like many, many before you, the emotional zing of success and money (even if it is measured in chili pepper feasts) is as alive and well as it’s ever been.
Why is this? The more we change, the more we stay the same.
So, the Ice Age notwithstanding, it’s safe to say that not much has changed, is it not?
Filed under: What It Takes to Make Money Tagged: | reason besides money
