I do barter all the time, neighbor thing. They bring food, I return food. You give me zucchini, I'll take half and make you a loaf of zucchini bread. That way I get more zucchini, you get more bread, lol. It's the same with friends, we never exchange money, just favors. It keeps the connection cleaner. I realize the world is too vast to work this way, but there's that one romantic notion left in my soul, that we could all spend our time doing what we love to make the world better, not for the crassness of gold. Were money not necessary to survive, I'd spend my days baking for the world, it's my first love. But I suppose writing is (in a way) feeding the world, it just doesn't feel as nourishing. But I don't hate it.

I think the majority of negativity in the world comes from having to do what you hate to earn gold. You just don't put your heart in it and do it badly. Sloth. Or you do it better than anyone else and mock those who do it badly. Pride. Then you look at the people doing what they love and you resent it. Envy. Then you see people making more gold and you want it. Greed. Then you see the things that guy bought and you crave it. Lust. Then you go home and over-indulge in something else when you get home. Gluttony. Then you blame it on someone else and want to force them to your ideas. Wrath. All over gold, having it, wanting it, needing it.