Gift Economy

This concept reminds me of the temple mediums in Penang. Some people would often visit Daoist temples not only for prayer but also to ask the gods or spirits about their fate. And this “service” was based on donation or what they’d call 随缘 which kinda means like up to fate. In this case, up to fate with regards to how much you’d wanna donate. Which I guess it’s essentially a gift economy mindset at the core.

Although I came across the actual term much later (probably late 2021), I realise that we’re already participating in gift economy in social occasions. Which made me wonder; how can we extend further to people we don’t know? We use money as means to exchange energy and resources which works pretty well when there’s zero trust. But seeing everything as a monetary transaction is tiring, heartless and mindless at times.

Which is why I’m trying to participate in it with my tentative offerings. This means letting go of how I’d wish to be paid for what I do as a means to cultivate generosity and shifting from a capitalist mindset. It’s an uncertain transition and I’m still figuring things out. But the leap of faith is definitely worth a try.

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On another note, reflecting on this made me realise the epiphany that our basic physical needs like electricity, water and shelter are dependent on money. You need money to pay utility bills! In this sense, we cannot entirely depend on a gift economy that is purely based on the exchange of goods. At least in the current social structures that we live in. Unless of course, there’s money involved.