Several years ago I coined a term Infinite Economics to identify the result of an inquiry, a sort of mind experiment I did. I asked the question: "What if all of economics had the do with handling wants?" If we were to address wants rather than involving money or the act of buying regarding this issue, than we can focus on the question, "How can anyone get what they want?". I found this simplification useful because then I could focus on only the ways that people can get what they want. So far, in this thought experiment (a method Einstein used), I've been only able to isolate eight ways to get anything someone wants. However, this is not a limitation. This is because within each way (each distinction) there may be an infinite number of ways or possibilities to get whatever someone wants. If not infinite, there are certainly an abundant collection of possibilities for each one, considering the number of people and kinds of situations that can be exploited.
One major reason why this is so useful is, it removes the fictional requirement of having to have money first so that you can pay for what you want. When you realize how many people are available to you and how many different kinds of situations can be tapped to bring what you want to you, you are then not stopped or delayed because you think something is missing to move forward. You can act immediately by using your imagination, ingenuity, resourcefulness to tap into the abundance of sources of what you want and the millions, even billions of people who will readily accommodate you if only they knew of your want.
Each of the eight ways are like lenses to reveal just how many sources are available through each way.
To illustrate, let's ask a person in poverty, "What could you do, or have, or develop, if you weren't stopped by lack of material assets, schooling, experience, contacts, or other seeming lack of advantages?" What does an "impoverished" person have going for them, instead of what's missing? Some people might call this creating anything from "nothing."
What would this kind of continuing inquiry create in the face of income "inequality."
I suggest that looking at the possibility of supply through these eight lenses, empowers anyone, who opens their mind to it, that no one has too little to start on the path to having anything they want out of life, no matter how enormous or complex.
I suggest that Infinite Economics is a model (a paradigm) that can reveal the endless possibility for anyone who can open their mind to it and who has sufficient mental ability to understand this model. (I'd guess that would include at least 90% of humans living today.)
I'd further suggest that spreading this understanding into the mainstream of our world population could very well lead to the creation of social and economic justice.
During this period I've been sharing these ways with many people. So far, very few people have seen the possibilities of the simplicity of these categories. I think that's because it contradicts the beliefs of most people that economics is mysterious, complicated and that what most see as insurmountable social problems would not yield to this simple structured way of seeing economic challenges. My view is that these 8 ways are paths to human empowerment, using any person's integral advantages.
My invitation to my readers is to try on this way of looking at economic challenges. Experiment with one or more of the ways by improvising and experimenting with approaches within each way. Use the example of things you want, yet seem unobtainable to you. You can also use these 8 lenses to look at other people who seem to be stopped in getting what they want. You can then recognize what they're not seeing and you might coach or mentor them, if they are open to it, to discovering what is being overlooked, if only they had the "eyes" to see it.
These are the 8 ways to get whatever you want in life, tangible or intangible, material things, or non-material advantages, qualities, or abilities:
1. Ask for what you want;
2. Trade something you have for what you want;
3. Find what you want. I call this "pick the fruit." Pick the fruit of the abundant supply of things people want and can value, that are lying around, "ready-for-the-pickin' ", waiting for you to develop your perception enough to recognize this abundant supply;
4. Borrow it. Obtain it for use until you bring it back according to the terms of an agreement;
5. Share (like borrow) it. With sharing you use it at the site (i.e. a tool) where it belongs while it's not in use. (by keeping #4 and #5 distinct in your imagination, you will be able to think of many more possibilities for each);
6. Accept a gift (not in response to an ask). For example, some one offers what you want because, say they learn of your want without you asking or even your knowing about them;
7. You create what you want. You write a song, paint a picture, build a radio or house, or create a business from an idea or insight.
8. From a divine source (i.e. God). You ask God for it, you prey for it. This is without question an infinite way.
"You can give a person a fish and they'll eat for a day, or you can [give them eyes to see the way for them] to fish." This is not teaching, this is showing the way.