When money interferes in a relationship, it changes the dynamic. Social norms and market rules come into conflict. For example, imagine a couple on a date, and when the man takes the woman home, he says, “I spent $100 on you today.” Suddenly, a romantic relationship shifts into a market transaction. Messages like “Next time, it’s your turn to pay” and “I did this for you today” appear. The benefits of social norms differ from those of market rules. Both are necessary, but the relationship is affected by when, how, and to whom they are applied. A person who fails to strike a balance between these two aspects risks damaging relationships and harming communities. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Cotton needs 500 mm of water to produce cotton wool, and 1 kg of cotton wool requires 8,500 liters of water to fill 40 baths. A fashion company can make a pair of jeans from this. It needs at least 2,700 liters of water to create a T-shirt. This amount is enough for one person to use as drinking water for three years. Clothing consumption has recently increased by an average of 60% each year on Earth. The Aral Sea in Uzbekistan was the fourth-largest lake in the world, but it has now shrunk to one-tenth of its original size, as river water has been used to grow cotton due to increased consumption. Few people are concerned about how their consumption affects the global environment. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”