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[Cthulhu]

It exists, in bills, computer data, records, whatever, but it has no intrinsic value.  If everyone stopped using USD, it would have no value.

[Protactinium]

Does money really even exist?

Not really.

You have $30,000 in the bank. You have some number below $300 in your wallet. The rest of it is a number that people promise that you current have right now so that you can get it if you wanted it on hand. It doesn't have any physical representation right now. It's just a number associated with you. It's how many points you have in the game of life.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

It's just a number associated with you. It's how many points you have in the game of life.

So then Jack Thompson was wrong! You lose points for running over old ladies!

[Leafsnail]

Well, yeah, it doesn't physically exist.

But someone still has to be there to lend you digital money.

[kuro_suna]

If everyone stopped using USD, it would have no value.

If everyone decided gold was just a metal too soft to build things of with electrical and thermal property on par with copper and aluminum it would have no value.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

If everyone decided gold was just a metal too soft to build things of with electrical and thermal property on par with copper and aluminum it would have no value.

But we won't. Humans like shiny things. Gold does have redeeming qualities besides being shiny, though. As you said, it is soft and almost useless. It is rare and lasts a long time. Gold isn't harmed by any of Earth's weather. All of these proporties make it perfect as money. I think that's giving us too much credit, though. I stand by the shininess of it being what made everyone choose it.

[Cthulhu]

It's also the most malleable and ductile metal.  Being a poor building material does not make it useless.

[kuro_suna]

But my point is that nearly all commodity values are determined by how much people want them with little regard to anything else so theirs not much point in complaining about the artificial nature of a fiat currency unless you want to go back to bartering livestock and grain.

EDIT:
Their are several alloys just as ductile as gold (usually tin based).

[ChairmanPoo]

Gold salts are also useful to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

[Protactinium]

But my point is that nearly all commodity values are determined by how much people want them with little regard to anything else so theirs not much point in complaining about the artificial nature of a fiat currency unless you want to go back to bartering livestock and grain.

Or if you want to go towards a society that devalues individual items and services and focuses more on promoting the well-being of everyone, like a family, tribe, or need-based communal governmental and economic system does.

[Cthulhu]

Well that's nice but it's not very feasible on a global scale.

[cowofdoom78963]

Why not diamonds and gems? They seem like valuable things that could be money.

[Cthulhu]

Diamonds are only valuable because De Beers made them valuable.

[Leafsnail]

You can melt gold down, so it's clearly valuable based on weight... diamonds, on the other hand, depend on quality, cut, clarity and so on.

[Protactinium]

Colored gems are actually impure, amusingly.
And yes, diamond prices are controlled by a cartel. They have one of the most artificially-gouged prices of any luxury items. Diamonds are not rare.