Table of Contents
The questions below are related to the Vow of Wealth.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Where did this Vow come from?
This Vow struck me early morning of September 7, 2009. It was a immediate shift. There was a before, now there is an after. A ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
When are you going to take this Vow?
The Vow itself is already taken inside myself. But there are more steps to go:- Prepare to leave the conventional monetary system: that should
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What are you trying to achieve?
Like many others, I am committed to create a fair, generative, sustainable and universal economic system that allows human beings to build and share wealth ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Are you a social activist?
No. I don't take this Vow because of social activism. It came because of my spiritual practice and inspiration, and because my nature and passion ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
What are you fighting against?
I fight against nothing and no one. I am a researcher, an explorer, that's all. Although explorers might be looked as marginal or crazy by ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Isn't it risky, unconscious, idealistic?
By nature exploring new paths is risky, uncertain, with many trials and errors. But like a new continent, a new vaccine, a new plane or ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
ETHICAL, PHILOSOPHICAL AND SPIRITUAL QUESTIONS
What is wealth?
As expressed in the Vow, I see wealth as anything that brings us closer to what is True, Good and Beautiful. In the common language wealth ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Can you be more specific on what you call the True, the Good and the Beautiful?
What is beautiful refers to the creative impulse that lives in every human soul. No matter the form of expression, the type of art, the ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
What is poverty then?
Poverty is the absence of wealth. It often comes from our incapacity to connect to the natural wealth that surrounds us. Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Why is the word "wealth" so confusing?
Like many words, wealth is confusing because when we use it, we may be referring to either the subjective or objective aspects of reality. In the ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Isn't the Vow of Wealth just like the Vows of Poverty of certain religious orders? Are you going to become a beggar? A homeless?
The Vow of Poverty is present in every spiritual tradition. In order to develop a wider consciousness, in order to open to the Divine, one ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Will you soon take a vow to only deal with people who themselves have taken this vow?
Who knows? Maybe one day there will be so many people who decided to commit to this vow that it becomes a self-sustainable community? This ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
QUESTIONS ABOUT LAWS AND NATIONS
By not accepting money aren't you basically saying that you do not recognize Nation-States?
As far as my understanding and knowledge goes, modern Nation-States are built around constitutions. None of the constitutions I know stipulate that citizenship is defined ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Does this vow implicitly declare that you do not recognize society's right to tax it's members for the communal obligation to support the roads, the ...
On the contrary. Conventional money doesn't serve well the process of community contribution and solidarity, because of the perverse effects built into its core(condensation, centralization, ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
How will you pay your taxes? Are you requiring that governments accept free currencies?
I will pay my taxes in free currencies. Legal authorities will decide whether they accept them or not. I am aware that it may lead ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Doesn't this vow by implication say that you are above the law?
An ontological distinction should be made here. One single and unique word -- law -- is used to name universal principles and values, and also ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Is there any relationship between this vow, and conscientious objection to military service, or to paying taxes that go to pay for war?
Although I follow the values of non-violence, the Vow of Wealth hasn't emerged as a response to any of today's issues. It is nourished by ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
If governments only did things you liked, like they didn't have an army, or were working diligently and well at ending pollution, poverty, etc, would ...
The discipline of collective intelligence helps understand how social species -- those of humanity in particular -- work as systems, and how a currency system ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Is this vow also saying something about ownership? If you pay for something in a free currency, will you still feel that you own it? ...
Ownership is one of the marks of fabric of pyramidal collective intelligence (the form of collective intelligence that prevails in modern societies). From the ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Do you belong to, or see yourself belonging to a political movement or ideology?
No. Communism, capitalism, socialism, anarchism, liberalism, royalism... are ideological categories that belong to pyramidal collective intelligence. They are not relevant anymore for those whose reality ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Even in the case free currencies are successful, aren't you going to reproduce the same world?
Take a deep look at the flowplace and how free currencies work. Even better: join them. It will answer this question. Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Isn't this just another Utopian dream? And doesn't it have all the same dangers of dehumanization as all other utopian and social engineering experiments?
Utopian dreams are dangerous when they are not validated by reality, when they don't integrate the laws of the universe. A typical dangerous utopia is ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
House, car, electricity, insurance, clothing, train and plane tickets... are some of the many things we access through money in our societies. How are you ...
I will only be able to access these things with persons or organizations willing to play with free currencies. Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
What are you going to do about food? This is an everyday need!
I don't know yet how I will deal with food on an everyday basis. I trust the path I have chosen. I know I will ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
If you get sick, access to treatment is done with conventional money. Would you rather not be healed than pay?
Let's not forget that I am not separating myself from the society, even less from its most beautiful solidarity principles, on the contrary! If I ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Will you keep a bank account?
No. I am stepping out of the current banking and the debt system. Along with many others, I hope we will contribute to rebuilding ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Will you accept gold or precious metals as money?
No, as they are the early forms of the scarcity model. I want to use currencies that don't create artificial scarcity, ones that are sufficient. ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
How will you save for retirement?
I expect that between now and the time of my retirement, the currency system will have shifted to free currencies. Then there will be many ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Is owning a stock certificate from a company, shares in a mutual fund, or bonds issued by a governmental agency the same for you as ...
Most of them are direct derivatives and by-products of conventional money, therefore I am not going to use them. Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Will you no longer put a coin under your child's pillow from the tooth fairy? :-)
The tooth fairy also wants to evolve. I am sure she will find lot's of fun new ideas! Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHERS
No matter what, you are going to access to things and services that others have bought with their own conventional money! Therefore aren't you being ...
I have been talking about this next evolution for humanity, and what it will mean in our daily life. What would be hypocritical of ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Aren't you going to live off your friends and supporters?
Life is a web of mutual support, we can't live alone. We need our friends, our family, our neighbors, colleagues, peers, ancestors. The Vow of ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Assume we agree with the goal you're vow aims to fulfill, but isn't it just incredibly impractical, not to mention risky, way to go about ...
Explorers and searchers only come to know the level of risk they took after they take it. Until we haven't tried, all interpretations are possible. ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
How many people do you expect to trade with you in free currencies, let alone take your vow?
lot I hope! Because that means they will then trade between themselves in free currencies too, and so on. As for taking the Vow, I ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
THETRANSITIONER.ORG
How is TheTransitioner going to play in regards to this Vow?
For now and for the medium term, TheTransitioner remains a non-profit organization that continues to play in the conventional way. My ambition is to see ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
TheTransitioner will continue to operate as a regular R&D organization, and will cover professional expenses in conventional money for whoever works with it. This includes ... Categories: Language (English if not set)
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MORE PERSONAL QUESTIONS
Are you really going to get rid of everything you have?
Not totally. I will keep what was offered to me as a gift, these are marks of love. As for the rest, yes I ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
What are you going to do with the conventional money you will get with these sales?
It will be given to the mother of our little boy, so that he can continue to grow in the conventional social substrate. It is ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Aren't you going to miss many things?
Yes. This is part of the deal. But there will be so many other gifts! Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
How do you envision the day you definitely stop using conventional money?
My intention is to create a rite-of-passage with my friends. Then we will see! Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Isn't this vow irresponsible to your family obligations? How will you pay for your child's education?
The path I chose to take is also in the name of my moral and family obligations. It's just a question of how far we ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Are you scared?
On the surface, yes. In the deepest part of my being, no. Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
What is the main difficulty for you?
The transition itself, which involves facing many issues. The most difficult one is facing the possible anger, judgment and misunderstanding of my close relatives. Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
If the government doesn't accept free currencies in the short term, will you try to fulfill your obligations to state in other ways?
At this point I have no answer yet. There might be other ways to pay taxes, other agreements that are neither free currencies, nor conventional ... Categories: Language (English if not set)Discussion:
Don't legal tender laws require that you accept money as payment from someone who owes you something? In other words by taking this vow aren't ...
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