[jamesn.]

From a more humorous perspective as Stephen offered:

“(When I first heard the term “mining bitcoin,” I had an image of the Super Mario brothers with headlamps on their helmets being lowered into the bowels of my computer . . .).”

Children’s fairy tales pose some interesting examples for teaching them how to make value decisions. So lets take one and dress it up in a new costume:

So there is this Corporate President and he likes trading on the stock market and he keeps making more and more money but still it’s never enough; he has been seduced by what it can do for him. He has a little girl he loves more than life itself. One night when he is asleep a mischievous spirit appears in his dreams and offers him the power to turn anything into gold that he wants; but he has to use “Bitcoin” instead of his usual vehicle of monetary transfer. The stock market opens the next day and he hits send on his computer on a certain stock commodity; and instantly the value of this stock skyrockets and he is even more richer than he could have possibly imagined. But when he comes home and his daughter runs out to meet him and jumps into his arms she instantly turns into a gold statue.

A silly simplistic example I know; but “King Midas” as a childhood metaphor has served as a reminder for countless children that “heart-value” over-rides monetary or economic concerns. I think this is what Joseph was referring to when talking about money. There are lots of these childhood fairy tales that teach certain value systems; but finding the right ones that work within the proper context in which one is living I think would be the key.

Still; as Stephen may be suggesting; I don’t think anyone can predict what is going to fit into every future situation; and who knows what kind of things will emerge looking forward.

(As an addendum I should also add that by no means am I saying this is the only way to approach this aspect of the topic; it’s just what I see from my own perspective and of course there may be other ways of looking at this. The “barter system” is one that comes to mind; where an “item” value or “service” is negotiated in trade.)