--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Money is not real. It is a conscious…" description: "\"Money is not real. It is a conscious agreement on measuring value.\" — John Ralston Saul" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/john-ralston-saul-3128_agreement_money-is-not-real-it-is-a-conscious-agre_2221891.jpg" --- # Money is not real. It is a conscious agreement on… ![“Money is not real. It is a conscious agreement on measuring value.” quote by John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/john-ralston-saul-3128_agreement_money-is-not-real-it-is-a-conscious-agre_2221891.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/john-ralston-saul-3128_agreement_money-is-not-real-it-is-a-conscious-agre_2221891.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/64e/john-ralston-saul-3128_agreement_money-is-not-real-it-is-a-conscious-agre_2221891.jpg) > “Money is not real. It is a conscious agreement on measuring value.” [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Money is a social construct that functions as a shared metric for valuing goods, services, and labor. **In simple terms:** Money is a shared agreement on value. Key Takeaway Recognize money’s role as a tool, not a reality. Themes economics philosophy society Mood reflective critical Type analytical philosophical When to use this quote - budgeting - negotiations - policy making - financial planning Key Concepts social contract valuation perception Questions to Reflect On - How does treating money as a contract change your spending? - What values are excluded by monetary measurement? A Different Perspective Money’s abstract nature can obscure real power dynamics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agreement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agreement/) [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Value](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/value/) ## Related quotes > [You can always tell you're in deep trouble when people start thinking money's real.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/you-can-always-tell-you-re-in-deep-trouble-when-people-start-thinking/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [“Whoever thirst for money is real victim of a capital illusion.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toba-beta/whoever-thirst-for-money-is-real-victim-of-a-capital-illusion/) [Toba Beta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toba-beta/) > [I made some money, some real money on my first real estate transaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malik-yoba/i-made-some-money-some-real-money-on-my-first-real-estate-transaction/) [Malik Yoba](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malik-yoba/) > [If you think about it, it requires a lot of effort and time and energy to make money in the real world, and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brock-pierce/if-you-think-about-it-it-requires-a-lot-of-effort-and-time-and-energy/) [Brock Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brock-pierce/) > [It's kind of a twisted cycle, but I think that there is less money in real music these days.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lalah-hathaway/it-s-kind-of-a-twisted-cycle-but-i-think-that-there-is-less-money-in/) [Lalah Hathaway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lalah-hathaway/) > [“The currency of living is money; the real currency of life is love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debasish-mridha/the-currency-of-living-is-money-the-real-currency-of-life-is-love/) [Debasish Mridha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debasish-mridha/) > [It's not just the emotional, intellectual, and physical gaps between you and money. The real gap is always between what you think you want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stuart-wilde/it-s-not-just-the-emotional-intellectual-and-physical-gaps-between/) [Stuart Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stuart-wilde/) > [Stars make money on real movies. They make big money on real movies. To come into my world, I've got some M&Ms and some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-daniels/stars-make-money-on-real-movies-they-make-big-money-on-real-movies-to/) [Lee Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-daniels/) > [Thought, not money, is the real business capital.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-s-firestone/thought-not-money-is-the-real-business-capital/) [Harvey S. Firestone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-s-firestone/) > [How would you like to make money in real estate?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-proops/how-would-you-like-to-make-money-in-real-estate/) [Greg Proops](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-proops/) > [Action made a reaction Word made a think Sound made a fell Money made a real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/action-made-a-reaction-word-made-a-think-sound-made-a-fell-money-made/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I've made money in real estate, hotel, and restaurant investments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hill-harper/i-ve-made-money-in-real-estate-hotel-and-restaurant-investments/) [Hill Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hill-harper/) > [For example, if I make money, I put it in real estate. I always did very well. Location, location, location.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivana-trump/for-example-if-i-make-money-i-put-it-in-real-estate-i-always-did-very/) [Ivana Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivana-trump/) > [I made a tremendous amount of money on real estate. I'll take real estate rather than go to Wall Street and get 2.8 percent.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivana-trump/i-made-a-tremendous-amount-of-money-on-real-estate-i-ll-take-real/) [Ivana Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivana-trump/) > [I made a tremendous amount of money on real estate. I'll take real estate rather than go to Wall Street and get 2.8 percent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivana-trump/i-made-a-tremendous-amount-of-money-on-real-estate-i-ll-take-real-2/) [Ivana Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivana-trump/) ## More by John Ralston Saul > [Of course, corporations and governments have a right to something for their money. They pay the wages. But they don't have the ethical right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/of-course-corporations-and-governments-have-a-right-to-something-for/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Some people don't like the 'comeback' because that suggests they went somewhere, which they didn't. That isn't what I mean. In my mind, people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/some-people-don-t-like-the-comeback-because-that-suggests-they-went/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [In the humanist ideal, the mainstream is where interesting debate, the generating of new ideas and creativity take place. In rational society this mainstream…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/in-the-humanist-ideal-the-mainstream-is-where-interesting-debate-the/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [There's two ways of dealing with fears of mortality. One of them is to hide, so every day you wear the same suit and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/there-s-two-ways-of-dealing-with-fears-of-mortality-one-of-them-is-to/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [A foreigner is an individual who is considered either comic or sinister. When the victim of a disaster - preferably natural but sometimes political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/a-foreigner-is-an-individual-who-is-considered-either-comic-or/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Rights are a protection from society. But only by fulfilling their obligations to society can the individual give meaning to that protection. (V -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/rights-are-a-protection-from-society-but-only-by-fulfilling-their/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [All the lessons of psychiatry, psychology, social work, indeed culture, have taught us over the last hundred years that it is the acceptance of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/all-the-lessons-of-psychiatry-psychology-social-work-indeed-culture/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [The neo-conservatives, who are closely linked to the neo-corporatists, are rather different. They claim to be conservatives, when everything they stand for is a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/the-neo-conservatives-who-are-closely-linked-to-the-neo-corporatists/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Armaments; extremely useful for fighting wars, a deadweight in any civil economy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/armaments-extremely-useful-for-fighting-wars-a-deadweight-in-any/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [In the European tradition, rivers are seen as divisions between peoples. But in the Aboriginal tradition, rivers are seen as the glue, the highway,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/in-the-european-tradition-rivers-are-seen-as-divisions-between/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [“Basic technical training is, of course, useful. But to treat it as anything more than that is to lock students into technology that will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/basic-technical-training-is-of-course-useful-but-to-treat-it-as/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Bankers - pillars of society who are going to hell if there is a God and He has been accurately quoted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/bankers-pillars-of-society-who-are-going-to-hell-if-there-is-a-god/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [If allowed to run free of the social system, capitalism will attempt to corrupt and undermine democracy, which is after all not a natural…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/if-allowed-to-run-free-of-the-social-system-capitalism-will-attempt/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [For about 125 years, give or take, the Canadian government has acted extremely badly - even in a way which should be called evil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/for-about-125-years-give-or-take-the-canadian-government-has-acted/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) > [Ten geographers who think the world is flat will tend to reinforce each other's errors ... Only a sailor can set them straight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/ten-geographers-who-think-the-world-is-flat-will-tend-to-reinforce/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) [Explore all 139 John Ralston Saul quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) ## More Agreement quotes > [Therefore, I see whatever exists as good, death is to me like life, sin like holiness, wisdom like foolishness, everything has to be as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hermann-hesse/therefore-i-see-whatever-exists-as-good-death-is-to-me-like-life-sin/) [Hermann Hesse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hermann-hesse/) > [There's no way to have a peace agreement unless the mediator or negotiator looks at both sides from an equal basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-carter/there-s-no-way-to-have-a-peace-agreement-unless-the-mediator-or/) [Jimmy Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-carter/) > [Biochemists and biologists who adhere blindly to the Darwinism theory search for results that will be in agreement with their theories and consequently orient…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-paul-grasse/biochemists-and-biologists-who-adhere-blindly-to-the-darwinism-theory/) [Pierre-Paul Grasse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-paul-grasse/) > [In coming to that agreement, my party had a clear philosophy throughout. In Northern Ireland, we should have institutions that respected the differences of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hume/in-coming-to-that-agreement-my-party-had-a-clear-philosophy/) [John Hume](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hume/) > [Identity is not negotiable. An identity you have achieved by agreement is always a prison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/m-john-harrison/identity-is-not-negotiable-an-identity-you-have-achieved-by-agreement/) [M. John Harrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/m-john-harrison/) > [I am formally accountable to the steering board of the PIC, and I meet with nine ambassadors from the PIC every week. I have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paddy-ashdown/i-am-formally-accountable-to-the-steering-board-of-the-pic-and-i-meet/) [Paddy Ashdown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paddy-ashdown/) > [Because countries often have differing political and economic systems, agreements are needed to protect those invested in trade.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-suzuki/because-countries-often-have-differing-political-and-economic-systems/) [David Suzuki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-suzuki/) > [As long as I sit at Henry Clay's desk, I will remember his lifelong desire to forge agreement, but I will also keep close…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/as-long-as-i-sit-at-henry-clay-s-desk-i-will-remember-his-lifelong/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) > [Gaia's main problems are not industrialization, ozone depletion, overpopulation, or resource depletion. Gaia's main problem is the lack of mutual understanding and mutual agreement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ken-wilber/gaia-s-main-problems-are-not-industrialization-ozone-depletion/) [Ken Wilber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ken-wilber/) > [We recognize that NAFTA is a three-country agreement, and we need a three-country negotiation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chrystia-freeland/we-recognize-that-nafta-is-a-three-country-agreement-and-we-need-a/) [Chrystia Freeland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chrystia-freeland/) > [At Ohio State University, to avoid being guilty of 'sexual assault' or 'sexual violence,' you and your partner now apparently have to agree on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/at-ohio-state-university-to-avoid-being-guilty-of-sexual-assault-or/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [Whatever you perceive, you always make a story with yourself as the main character, and that dictates your life. Then when you read 'The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-angel-ruiz/whatever-you-perceive-you-always-make-a-story-with-yourself-as-the/) [Miguel Angel Ruiz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-angel-ruiz/) > [ Look at what I am proposing, and we \[wih Bernie Sanders\] have a vigorous agreement here. We both want to reign in the excesses… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/look-at-what-i-am-proposing-and-we-wih-bernie-sanders-have-a-vigorous/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I spoke on the phone with President Rouhani of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The two of us discussed our ongoing efforts to reach…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/i-spoke-on-the-phone-with-president-rouhani-of-the-islamic-republic/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Netanyahu made all sorts of claims. This was going to be a terrible deal. This was going to result in Iran getting 50 billion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/netanyahu-made-all-sorts-of-claims-this-was-going-to-be-a-terrible/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) [Browse all 1,138 Agreement quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agreement/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Money is not real. 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