Put this in your pipe and smoke it….

#WeAreAllApes

——————————

Marshall McLuhan interprets money as a profound extension of the basic human action of “grasping and letting go,” likening it to the physical motion of apes swinging between trees. This analogy reflects his broader framework of understanding technology and media as extensions of human faculties and behaviors.

The Ape Swinging Analogy

	1.	Grasping and Letting Go: Apes swinging from tree to tree embody a cyclical motion of holding onto a branch and releasing it to reach the next one. This act requires coordination, timing, and trust in the continuity of the environment to support their progress.
	2.	Money as Symbolic Grasping: For McLuhan, money performs a similar function in the human world. It allows individuals to metaphorically “grasp” value in a tangible form (e.g., coins, paper currency) and “let go” by spending it to acquire goods or services. This exchange process mirrors the physical rhythm of the ape’s motion.
	3.	Trust in the Medium: Just as an ape trusts that the next branch will hold its weight, humans trust the monetary system to maintain the value of the medium. Without this trust, both the ape’s swing and the financial system would collapse.

McLuhan’s Media Perspective

McLuhan would see money not simply as a tool for trade but as a medium of exchange that shapes human relationships and consciousness:
	•	Extension of the Hand: Money is a technological extension of the hand’s grasp, enabling trade without the need for direct barter. It abstracts the act of holding onto something of immediate value and turns it into a transferable, symbolic medium.
	•	Impact on Perception: Money, as a medium, alters our perception of value, time, and relationships. It commodifies time and labor, encouraging humans to think in terms of quantifiable exchanges rather than immediate, personal interactions.
	•	Cultural Implications: The evolution from barter to money reflects a shift in how societies organize themselves, moving from direct, tangible exchanges to a system mediated by symbols and trust in abstract systems.

A Broader Insight

The grasp-and-let-go metaphor underscores the continuity between human physicality and the technologies we create. Just as apes use the swing to navigate their environment, humans use money as a dynamic medium to move through their social and economic worlds. This analogy reveals how even the simplest actions—rooted in our primal instincts—are amplified and transformed by the media we adopt.