Gift Economy

The way we value ourselves and each other shapes the kind of world we live in. Our current economic model elevates everything that takes more than it gives and destroys everything that does not. There may be no better way to encourage the co-creation of an ever-better world than to reimagine and recreate our economic model. Especially considering the nature and trajectory of AI.

I invite you to imagine, experiment, and manifest with me!

A) Imagine With Me:

Can you imagine living in a world where everything you desire is freely offered to you simply because your community genuinely values your continued presence, creations, services, and other offerings (many of which may not have traditional economic value)?

We can create that world. There are just three requirements:

You must honestly evaluate your presence, creations, services, and other offerings to your community. The truth is that if they are not valuable to your community, they may not be motivated enough to support you in the ways you desire to be. You may need to refine your offerings and/or seek a new community.
You must honestly evaluate how much you actually value the continued presence, creations, services, and other offerings of others in your community. Note that presence alone is valuable. You do not have to support everyone, but you must actively support those you do value in every way that feels appropriate to you.
You must maintain and share a prioritized list of your current desires and keep yourself informed about the desires of those you have chosen to support.

A final note: Gift Economy is not based on scarcity or charity. It is based on abundance and generosity. That said, priorities and limitations always exist. Gratitude is essential.

Think about it... it really is that simple! Or... is it? Don't miss section C below!

B) Experiment With Me

I created this web site in order to share myself and my offerings with others. If appropriate, I encourage you to do the same. Also, please consider supporting or collaborating on this social media network project which integrates this concept.

Now, let's test this model and find out how well it works (while actively refining it):

Explore my web site in order to discover how I might be able to offer value to you and any organizations you are a part of. If appropriate, invite me to help you.
If you ever realize that you appreciate and value my presence, creations, services, and/or other offerings, it is time to find out how you can support me.
If you are intrigued by this particular model of a Gift Economy; create your own way of sharing who you are, what value you enjoy offering to others, and what your desires are. And then actively share it with everyone in your community.

A final note: I want to know how you feel about this experiment and any personal experiences you may have had that inform your thoughts and feelings about it.

Are you in? Let's do this thing! Find Out How You Can Support Me

C) Manifest With Me

This model is fundamentally simple; but in practice, it would require a major shift in the mindset and behavior of the wealthiest humans and organizations (both for-profit and not-for-profit) on the planet. Let's explore!

The Monumental Problem

At the moment, this kind of gift economy can only survive if at least some members of the gift economy community (the more the better) own either an accumulation of money (the more the better) or an ongoing stream of money (the more the better) from outside of the gift economy community. This is because almost everything that humans and their organizations require to survive and desire to thrive (food, medical care, housing, transportation, energy, etc.) is provided by not easily replaced humans and organizations who are not (yet) willing to gift their outputs and other resources. The result is that whatever money exists within the gift economy community will very quickly exit the community, leading to real poverty within the community.

Not convinced? Then please take a moment to consider each and every thing you and your organizations require to survive and desire to thrive. Which of these things do you think could be easily provided by hypothetical members of your gift economy community without money leaving the community to acquire them?

A Potential Solution

The most significant businesses (starting with those providing food, medical care, housing, transportation, energy, etc.) could use their massive accumulated wealth to catalyze a gift economy. For instance, they could decide that any human or organization that chooses to no longer charge money for their outputs and other resources would receive their outputs and other resources as a gift. This could start a chain reaction; but to be sustained and effective, it must start with the organizations that provide the most fundamental and expensive outputs and other resources.

A Critical Question

The critical issue: Even if this kind of gift economy was pervasive, there would be people and organizations that, for whatever set of reasons, were either not visible enough or not liked enough by the people who control the specific outputs and other resources they require to survive or desire to thrive; so they would live in poverty unless we integrated a method of remaining aware of them and caring for them.

The critical question: In a true gift economy, what kind of rights/entitlements should all humans and organizations fundamentally have? In other words, should everyone be able to take whatever they want whenever they want? Or should everyone only receive whatever they request and are given? Finally, how should we care for the neglected?

Our Next Steps

What do you think? Is Gift Economy a worthy pursuit? If so, do you think we could effectively and efficiently catalyze this transition from the bottom up (rather than top down)? If so, how? At the moment, I can only imagine educating and persuading the top. Perhaps I should start with a TED talk and find out what that might lead to?