What I don’t hear discussed very often is that, for those of us who easily have enough “stuff” to survive, besides “buying” the one-upmanship abstractions of status and prestige, money also enables one to purchase more space, privacy, mobility, power, and control: i.e., those with more money control more land (or larger, quieter living spaces), and can get more people to do more things for them (i.e., they can purchase more services.)

I.e., after the basic Taurean needs for food, clothing, and shelter have been met, money goes Scorpionic. Even for those who declare, perhaps quite sincerely, their lack of need for lots of “stuff”, the role of money in securing space, privacy, and the comfort and convenience that comes from having others do our bidding (be they nanny, maid, gardener, airline pilot, or Starbucks barista) remains — and remains largely undiscussed.

One empirical, if peculiar, definition of money I’ve played with from time to time is this: Money is something which, when you give it to people, they’ll do things for you that they wouldn’t do otherwise. Maybe that’s just the Scorpio emphasis in my own chart showing. ;-)