Is Money just a piece of Paper?
So earlier, we talked about five men from Dhanbad who risked everything for ₹25,000–₹35,000 a month in Africa — and tragically…
Is Money just a piece of Paper?
So earlier, we talked about five men from Dhanbad who risked everything for ₹25,000–₹35,000 a month in Africa — and tragically, disappeared in the process. We didn’t just want to share their story. We wanted to understand the why behind it. And that led us to a very basic, but very strange question: What is money?
Alright. Let’s imagine you’re holding a ₹100 note in your hand. Just paper, right? But somehow… this paper has the power to get you: ● 2 kg of rice, ● A packet of milk, ● Or maybe half a tank of fuel (if you’re feeling lucky these days). But think about it. That rice took 4–5 months to grow, needed sunlight, water, farmers’ effort, and transportation. And you… handed over a rectangular piece of paper in return. That’s either magic or madness.
If you really think about it, it’s almost funny. Imagine someone comes to your field, takes your hard-grown rice, and in return gives you… paper which you can’t eat, can’t plant, can’t even use to keep warm.
Why do we agree to this? - because everyone else agrees to it. Which, if we’re being honest, sounds a lot like the logic we used in school: “Why are you jumping into the pond?” “Because everyone else did.” Not exactly Nobel-level reasoning, is it?
So for a second, I had this bold thought: “What if we just stop using money altogether?” Imagine the world going back to barter. 2 kg rice for 1 pair of slippers. A haircut in exchange for two eggs and a packet of biscuits. Sounds simple. But five seconds later, reality struck. If this was actually possible, wouldn’t the world have already done it? There must be more to it than just… giving up paper. So, like any confused but curious adult, I took a closer look at that ₹100 note.
Have you ever read what’s printed on your currency? It says: “I promise to pay the bearer the sum of one hundred rupees.” Signed by the Governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Now that’s interesting. It’s not just a piece of paper. It’s a bill — a promise.
So when someone gives you ₹100 for your rice, they’re not really paying you with value. They’re giving you apromise from someone you’ve probably never met. The deal becomes: “Give me 2 kg rice, and in return, here’s a promise from a suited man in Delhi that you’ll get something worth ₹100.” What faith we have, no?
This is when it hit me: ● Money is not value. ● It’s not a resource. ● It’s not even food or fuel or gold.
It’s belief. A system of trust. A shared illusion that we all participate in because… well, the alternative is chaos. Money works because we all agree that it does. And that agreement? That’s what gives it power.
Let’s say I sell 2 kg of rice for ₹100. What did I receive? ● Not food. ● Not clothing. ● Not a guaranteed benefit.
I got agovernment-issued beliefthat someone, somewhere, will honour this “promise” in the future. Sounds spiritual, doesn’t it? We criticize religions, yet here we are — Believing in printed promises and digital digits more than we believe in people.
So next time you hold a ₹100 note, don’t just think: “Wow, I’m rich.” Instead, think: “Wow, I’m holding a very official piece of paper that says I’m allowed to believe this will get me something real.” Isn’t that wild? We built an entire world — our jobs, our families, our dreams — on paper, metal coins, and more recently… numbers on a screen.
It’s amazing. It’s funny. It’s scary. And it’s real — because we all believe in it.
If money is just belief, then the next obvious question is: Where does this belief come from — and who controls it? And why is it that some people have more of this belief than others? Stay tuned. Because this story isn’t just about five men from Dhanbad. It’s about all of us, living in a world built on invisible agreements and very visible inequalities.
How about we decode some more questions?
Find the next part here: https://medium.com/@milan.dharm/how-money-began-with-a-simple-village-c48b0eb4582a
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