--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People are willing to do such things when…" description: "\"“People are willing to do such things when they trust the figments of their collective imagination. Trust is the raw material from which all types of m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12b/yuval-noah-harari-100_money_people-are-willing-to-do-such-things-whe_1336599.jpg" --- # People are willing to do such things when they trust the… ![“People are willing to do such things when they trust the figments of their collective imagination. Trust is the raw material from which all types of money are minted. When a wealthy farmer sold his possessions for a sack of cowry shells and travelled with them to another province, he trusted that…” quote by Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12b/yuval-noah-harari-100_money_people-are-willing-to-do-such-things-whe_1336599.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12b/yuval-noah-harari-100_money_people-are-willing-to-do-such-things-whe_1336599.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/12b/yuval-noah-harari-100_money_people-are-willing-to-do-such-things-whe_1336599.jpg) > ““People are willing to do such things when they trust the figments of their collective imagination. Trust is the raw material from which all types of money are minted. When a wealthy farmer sold his possessions for a sack of cowry shells and travelled with them to another province, he trusted that upon reaching his destination other people would be willing to sell him rice, houses and fields in exchange for the shells. Money is accordingly a system of mutual trust, and not just any system of mutual trust: money is the most universal and most efficient system of mutual trust ever devised.”” [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Money works because people collectively trust a shared symbol, allowing exchange without direct barter. **In simple terms:** Money is trust turned into a system. Key Takeaway Recognize trust as the foundation of economic systems. Themes economics trust money society Mood analytical thoughtful Type explanatory philosophical When to use this quote - trading goods - digital currencies - community projects - banking - investment Key Concepts social contract symbolic value network effects Questions to Reflect On - How does trust shape modern financial innovations? - What happens when trust in money erodes? A Different Perspective Trust can be broken by fraud or loss of confidence, collapsing the system. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Money](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/money/) [Mutual trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mutual-trust/) [Trust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trust/) ## Related quotes > [“Money has an even darker side. For although money builds universal trust between strangers, this trust is invested not in humans, communities or sacred…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yuval-noah-harari/money-has-an-even-darker-side-for-although-money-builds-universal/) [Yuval Noah Harari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yuval-noah-harari/) > [A free society depends upon a high degree of mutual trust. The public will not give that trust to officials who are not seen…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/archibald-cox/a-free-society-depends-upon-a-high-degree-of-mutual-trust-the-public/) [Archibald Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/archibald-cox/) > [Women and men basically want the same things. Trust. Respect. Support. Love. Room to grow and a major physical attraction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vantile-whitfield/women-and-men-basically-want-the-same-things-trust-respect-support/) [Vantile Whitfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vantile-whitfield/) > [You get a feeling about things, and if you trust yourself, which I've grown to do, I felt like I had a pretty good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-geraghty/you-get-a-feeling-about-things-and-if-you-trust-yourself-which-i-ve/) Brian Geraghty > [The only way that we can protect each other is if we are together. If we face things together. If we trust each other.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cassandra-clare/the-only-way-that-we-can-protect-each-other-is-if-we-are-together-if/) [Cassandra Clare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cassandra-clare/) > [“Numbers are the only things you can trust in this life, Kerstin; they will keep you sane.’ Summer Lies Bleeding”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nuala-casey/numbers-are-the-only-things-you-can-trust-in-this-life-kerstin-they/) Nuala Casey > [As journalists we are sceptical by nature, but there are some things you take on trust.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gavin-esler/as-journalists-we-are-sceptical-by-nature-but-there-are-some-things/) [Gavin Esler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gavin-esler/) > [I believe in the moment of things and fate and things happening for a reason, so I write things down and I trust it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ellie-goulding/i-believe-in-the-moment-of-things-and-fate-and-things-happening-for-a/) [Ellie Goulding](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ellie-goulding/) > [“I realised one day not so long ago, that I believe in many things, but that I do not trust any of them. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/i-realised-one-day-not-so-long-ago-that-i-believe-in-many-things-but/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [“Someone will come and say the exact same things. Trust love a bit and believe it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jolien-goedleven/someone-will-come-and-say-the-exact-same-things-trust-love-a-bit-and/) Jolien Goedleven > [Don't give your heart away so easily. Be patient, don't rush things. 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