Money is ingrained in us. As young people, we are told that part of
responsibility is to be able to plan ahead with our money. If we want something expensive, save up. If we do not have the proper funds for what
we want, too bad. When trading, questions arise as to how connected are you to
the person with whom you are trading. Do
you care about what they are getting out of the transaction? Do they care if they are selling you a good
product? For my form of Sweet Briar Currency, I want to take it back to a
community without a currency. In this world, Sweet Briar would be much more
involved with what they were obtaining, and the transactions would be between
to communication persons, and no money would be necessary. Instead of a hard currency,
I propose to use the high five.
A simple high five could be the
total sum of payment because instead of a hard currency that could be used for
another transaction, the high five lingers only as long as your hand tingles
after the initial smack. The necessity for reciprocation of items and skills
would keep this system going. For example, the people involved in a transaction
would also understand that they might need something the other person has at a
later point. People would need to have some prior knowledge before transacting,
unlike when using money. Word would get around who makes the best dinners, who
is the best at tutoring in Spanish, and who doesn’t mind cleaning out the
bathrooms. All needs could and would be met by an understanding that doing your
best at what you do will get you want you need in return.
Since the high five is a pretty
basic human movement, the denominations of the high five would need to be
explained. There are three basic fives:
the standard high five, the double high five, and the low five. All of which
would determine the satisfaction of the person receiving the item or service.
So that means that the payment is relative to the product itself. The value is
based on the same fundamental aspects of our current economic markets: the
buyer has a demand, and the giver must reciprocate accordingly.
To go about a high five, the
receiver of the item must have one hand at the ready, raise it into the air,
look at the giver’s opposite elbow, and forcefully stretch their hand forward.
It is important to look at the elbow, since it is a sure-fire way of not
missing. With the double high five, it
is important to keep both arms equidistant so that a hand doesn’t hit someone
else’s face. For the low five, you actually shouldn’t look at the other
person’s elbow. For the Low five, the best thing to do would be to look down at
the waiting hand, and aim towards it. With the low five only the giver’s hand
is actively moving, whereas the standard and the double take both parties.
The standard high five is for those
times when the product is just what you need. Where the item you are receiving
did not exceed your expectations, nor did it fall below your expectations. Usually, the standard high five is used when
the transition is quick and easy, and the people involved go about their
business with ease. The receiver will
probably give back to the person who gave them the object, but it’s not
necessary. The standard high five is a
way to say “Thanks”.
The double high five however is
where the product exceeds the receiver’s expectations. They are humbled and
grateful for the care and execution the giver put into the product, and so as
payment they get not one high five, but two! This is to be used when the
product does the job better than usual, or surpasses other experiences
affiliated with the person or item. This would extend the happiness to both
parties: The pride of the previous owner for a good product and the receiver
appreciating the extra work or time put into it. This could be spending extra
time on tutoring, making a terrific dinner, taking out the trash when no one
else did, etc.
On the other end of the spectrum,
the low five is considered when the product is of poor quality, the transaction
went sour, or the expectation were not met. This would lead to careful
reevaluation of the transaction: if the receiver will take the product, if the
person tried to cheat, or if something else should be substituted. If the
person takes the item, that is when the low five will emerge as a sign of
disapproval. This is only to be used
when the product is not suitable for use.
To high five is to express feeling
towards a gift. It is to create a giving community with giving expectations,
not taking expectations. There are examples of societies running like this, but
they are small. Small communities can run
without currency, but to regress would require a lot of cooperation. The economic classes of sweet briar would not
be based on how much they had sitting in their bank accounts; it would be based
on how much they gave and traded. The
wealthy would actually be the most giving, and the stingy would not be able to
survive. I believe this would strengthen
the Sweet Briar community because we would be more communicative, collaboration
oriented, and closer.
