Industrialisation changed earth and all of human societies. Digitalization continues this change, but it does not bring back forgotten understanding of a time before nine to five and supermarket runs in an ever inflating market of good's prices.
In Paris the Ur-Meter is in a vaccum box and changes length by a fraction of its overall size. A common set length is only possible in a connected world.
Before the wagon turned automobile, meaning right until the end of the 19th century, in my area most market places and therefore towns were independet in also their used measures.
The standard length unit and weight unit were on display and every trader putting up his goods from close by and far away had to agree to calculate his asked price in those units.
Along, the locals also often had their own currencies, while obviously some things, such as gold and silver were commonly of more value, along with some rare stones that also exist in central Europe. No diamonds so, except from realy far away.
And now it got a bit more complicated than today, because beside gold and silver coins, also different local coins made out of e.g. copper were in use, but a trader might not be able to use them further away. Like today only between nations, but in even shorter time frames, due to planes crossing even continents.
The churches in France until today have most of the time no fixed benches, but easily removable chairs, because they also surved as negotiation places, beside standing infront of the chicken stand with some rabbit leather, but no coins at all.
The money was not based on a central banks interest rate and a lot closer to the goods traded. It was more important how many chicken someone got in exchange for coins, than, if he could find someone in the next church off church service times that would exchange the coins against silver or another coin.
Today's bank notes come from a special piece of paper that was only of value, if you knew who would cash it in, wihch was based on trust. This was a special service some trust worthy and early bankers specialised in, from within the Templer order and Jewish communities, used for higher value transactions.
All in all, live was a lot more calm and slower, way more relaxed and the greedy were in a disadvantage before modern times took a wrong turn and created unseen massmurder and poverty world wide.
Every time I hear my neighbours stomping upstairs or slaming the house door, for well knowing that I can hear it, because I even told them, I doubt that we can alltogether in a peaceful manner correct to a better more calm and relaxed lifestyle, but might face another time of war and turmoil as those ending the dark mid-ages and feudalism in most parts of the world.
How would they behave in an old times market over a no talk just cash in supermarket, or when our monetary systems fails like in war times?
