Polarization has taken over our society in America. The “with us or against us” mentality has trickled down to every lifestyle choice imaginable. Personally, I think the most important way to stay grounded in this marketplace of ideas, where people are so desperate to turn you to their side, is to understand both arguments. There are pros and cons to both sides of every contested issue; if there wasn’t, it wouldn’t be contested. If somebody makes a case for one side with a high level of conviction, make sure they are doing so with self-awareness of their bias.
As an exercise to demonstrate my ability to philosophically shapeshift, let’s talk about a very highly contentious issue in modern society: cash. There are two obvious camps of people: those who think you should carry cash and those that deem it unnecessary. I will start with the former’s perspective.
Carrying cash is the easiest and most basic form of preparedness. Going out into society today without cash is like going camping without a tent. If you need something or anything, cash can get it for you. What if your car breaks down? What if you’re held at gunpoint? What if your house burns down? What if the banking system collapses because China hacks all the software and your credit is destroyed? That’s why you have the greenbacks baby. Isn’t it great when you’re out to dinner, somebody picks up the check, and you just hand them a crisp $20 bill and wipe your hands clean of the transactions? What if you want to buy drugs? What if you want to make a friendly wager? What if there is a street performer who is very talented? Cash is King, Cash Rules Everything Around Me C.R.E.A.M, the almighty dollar. How are you going to tip the bellhop at the hotel with your phone?
Ok, that argument has its points. I think we’ve all met somebody who thinks like this. They are typically older, conservative people who view the world as a dangerous, unpredictable place. They are the type that buys the insurance on their electronics. These are the people you should trust to book hotels, buy tickets, plan trips, etc. You leave the wheelin’ and dealin’ to them and they will think of everything.
The other perspective:
Carrying cash is simply inefficient. If I carry cash at all times, I have to endure several negative side-effects at all time. First of all, i have to carry a wallet. I have to sit on a fat piece of leather in my back pocket which makes sitting uncomfortable and also makes me feel asymmetrical. Do you know how often I am seated? Like 80% of the time. Cash also has the unique property of not feeling like my “money.” My “money” is in the bank. Cash is just something I found in my pocket, so why not just spend it flippantly? Next, I have to acquire cash. How to cash people even get their cash? Do they use ATMs? I doubt it, they are not the type who would stand for paying withdrawal fees. Therefore, these cash people must be going to the bank. Like the actual, physical bank. I cannot think of a more pointless use of my free time than driving my car to a building so I can stand in line and exchange my incredibly convenient digital money for physical money. Let me list the times I’ve needed cash in the last year: cash-only bar that we decided to not patronize, cash-only food truck that we decided not to patronize, cash-only coffee stand that we decided not to patronize. The situations where I need cash have dwindled every year since my birth. How annoying is that one guy who wants you give you cash at dinner instead of just accepting the Venmo request like everybody else? That $20 bill is definitely ending up in my washing machine, not my bank account.
I must admit, I fall on this side of the argument. The main reason for my preference is that cash people just think they’re better than you. They always pull their cash out of their pocket and start fingering through it and then they look at you. You say “I don’t have cash,” because why the fuck would you? Then they give you that infuriating look like you showed up to a ski resort in jeans.
But I’m trying to be understanding, as a stated earlier. I will continue to try to let cash people feel pride in their preparedness when the time comes. They fantasize about pulling cash out when you don’t have any, so let them realize their fantasy. They will have back problems from their wallet, it’s a fair trade-off.