Haim, you seem to have misunderstood my list. That list showed that abstract things with no intrinsic value are normally the most valuable things. Hence, Mona Lisa is not $1 but umpty$million. I wrote:
<Things do not need to be actual real things with intrinsic value to be valuable. On the contrary, the most esoteric, arcane, ephemeral and abstract things tend to have the most value.> Bitcoin is esoteric, arcane, abstract, but hopefully not ephemeral. But it's worth more than gold.
The picture is just, actually, some paint, some canvas, and a frame. There is nothing else there. The value you see is an abstract thing in your mind. Others see it too, which is why you could buy it and use it as a large denomination of money.
You are right that I did not get the essence of the Bible or Torah. That's because I have not read them. I have read a few pages of the Bible to see what all the excitement is about, but lost interest somewhere in the begats, irrelevant ancient history and obscurity.
Nobody needs to see your bitcoin purse, or your Mona Lisa, for them to have value to you. You can trade them to any one at any time. They are a store of value. Bitcoin is also a means of exchange - you don't have to go to a place to get them to sell it or do some advertising to find buyers and arrange a sales process as you would with selling Mona Lisa for the going rate.
BTW, if you enjoy looking at the picture, you don't need to own it. If you buy the picture, you do only get the canvas, paint and frame as extras. There are artists would could paint you one that's identical to the original. You would have to get x-rays or something to tell the difference. But it wouldn't be so valuable.
Heck, I bet Google can get me one right here: 
Well, that was easy. If you look at it, please send me money as delivery agent. You can even print it onto a good material and hang that on your wall. You could have a dozen of them around the house. They won't all be worth as much as the canvas and paint and frame of the original, but they'll do the same job, near enough for government work.
Mqurice |
