Part 3/17:
Most people assume money is around 5,000 years old; however, evidence suggests its origins date back approximately 500,000 years—emerging within early human and even primate societies. Primates, crows, and dolphins have all demonstrated an understanding of tokens used to express value, indicating that the concept of money is deeply embedded in the evolution of intelligent life.
Money, as a tool for exchange and communication of value, functions as a kind of shared cultural delusion. We accept certain objects—be they shells, gold, or paper—as holding value because society collectively agrees to do so. This shared hallucination is rooted in trust: we rely on others' belief that these tokens will continue to be accepted in the future.