What is matter? Synergistic Accounting Part 2
Matter Latin materia “substance from which something is made,” also “hard inner wood of a tree.”from mater “origin, source, mother”
We live in a world where humans are regularly labelled as consumers. Where economists and governments seek to ‘increase consumption’ in order to ‘sustain‘ growth. I am not entirely sure how these words can live in the same sentence because they certainly don’t live in any viable ecosystem.
Increase consumption to sustain growth? There is something really wrong with that picture.
In this same world, almost everything becomes commodified…you, me, child care, food, water, clean air…Commodification in this model is about reducing all things to the metric of monetary value. How can I turn what was once available freely into something for which I can make money?
In Synergistic Accounting, we account for things that are physical experiences, like a desk, chair, house, car, tree, as matter.
A rock is a rock. Intrinsic to the rock are minerals, trapped energy, and everything that makes a rock a rock. Its optional value is all the other possible uses for the rock. It may build a house, or a cathedral. It may be used as a weapon that changes the course of history. (David and Goliath) It may be crushed to make a path. It may be a seat. A dam. Carved into a piece of art.
When we consider a rock through the eyes of Synergistic Accounting, we honour the rock for all of these possibilities, and the many more not listed. We may even honour the rock the most by leaving it in the ground. Even if it were precious to our current world. (Gold, or silver)
Imagine seeing the world through a child’s eyes again? Marvelling at the intrinsic and extrinsic value of all things. Where a cardboard box is the most delightful play toy for endless hours of creative activity. How do you reduce that to a dollar value?
The rock cannot be viewed in isolation from its ecosystem/context. Given that Synergistic Accounting is a Whole System view, leaving nothing out, we must always start with the whole.
Matter, therefore, always exists in the larger whole of all the other value metrics.
When we list matter on a Synergistic Accounting audit, we list them as the thing…the rock, the tree, the soil…not as the dollar value. To list the dollar value dishonours all the potential of the thing.
Or…in human terms…price yourself. Put a total price on you. Have we ever been able to do that? I suspect not. Why do we think we can do that for a tree? Or a rock? Maybe because underlying the action of doing this is some core belief that man has a right to dominate nature?
We can only put a dollar price on something in context, and in so doing, remove all other options. There is nothing wrong with doing this as long as the other options are noted and recognised as having value. This is the essence of Synergistic Accounting.
When we live this way, we value the whole. I know of no human who has not suffered the pain of not being valued for the whole of who he or she is.
The practice of Synergistic Accounting will shift this…in all domains.
To return to Part 1. Bottom line and triple bottom line don’t cut it – an introduction to Synergistic Accounting.
Next article. Money – but one element of six to consider in Synergistic Accounting – Part 3.
Photo credit: Photography by Tiwago via Compfight
