; In this, McLuhan reveals that money makes a job rewarding, and therefore that job serves a specific purpose in life. The job provides money, which is necessary for everyday living. Money mints a hot connection between numbers and desire. It is not money that gives rise to human calculations and schemes, but rather desire to experience certain feelings. Humans do not want a particular item for its own sake, but rather to have certain feelings. Humans have knowledge of how they want to feel; this gives rise to what they think they want; at this point, if the item he or she wants has a monetary price attached to it, then he or she will calculate or observe the price and whether they have enough money. Humans do not often think in terms of trades and counter trades, talks and negotiations, but proceed directly to the balance of dollars and cents. Numbers, in such case, are no longer remote abstractions, but useful measures of human desire, need, and power. Money creates in humans a range of emotions toward numbers, given how much money counts in the fulfillment or frustration of needs and desires. The affective relation between numbers and need is dramatized and formalized with the introduction of money.The technology of money is a dramatic and relatively obvious example of McLuhan’s idea of inventions changing cultures and societies fundamental ways. Not only did money pave the way for mathematical thinking, but also extended mankind’s ability to give, receive, and exchange. In conclusion, money clearly exemplifies McLuhan’s proposition that “the medium is the message.”...
