Little do we know about monocles, but the modern spectacle is rooted back in this unique piece of glass that helped countless shortsighted people enjoy the grandeur of the Almighty through natural beauty. This is what made them feast their eyes on the beauty of their beloved.
Well, long live monocle— it has gone extinct, though. Only a handful can be traced back to the collectors' den— kept away from human contact and solely to demonstrate their posh taste for antiques which is mostly pretentious.
Remark my word pretentious.
I don't know why people keep such 'useless' items in their possession and waste money on cleaning and preserving them for eternity. To me, it's nothing but a tendency to show off their riches and seek mass attention— otherwise, they would sell them to get some more valuable and usable items.
Michel Oeler on Unsplash
Michel Oeler on Unsplash However, not all antiques are precious and hold equal value. And once again, the famous saying "age is just a number" comes to play when determining the value of antiques. Some items maybe 200 or 500 years old but that doesn't mean they will be pricey.
For example, I have a few British coins used in this subcontinent for trading purposes. Some of them are nearly 200 years old but they are worth only a few dollars. Really disappointing for me as I thought I am rich.
The determining factor of any antique's worth is regulated by its historical background— why it was introduced, what did it accomplish back when it was a dominant entity, and most importantly, what it signified at that time.
Now, let's get back to the monocle.
Monocle was auxiliary eyewear like modern-day spectacles. The main difference is in the number of glasses and how people style them. Earlier in 1720, it was quite a trend to own and use a monocle regardless of the necessity. Over time, it became a symbol of aristocracy, and finally, once so popular and helpful eyewear became a capitalist entity. Yes, that's right— monocle is a capitalist identity for the majority of that time and still, people tend to refer to it whenever the situation demands an allegorical representation rather than verbose speech.
A decent alternative to a big problem.
Given the period monocle was here, it's not so old. So, probably not a collectable antique except for the personal interest of keeping a piece to entertain the guests and highlighting his ambition. Since the idea of the antique collection is now being digitised by NFT, how would people now invite guests and stand in front of the showcase and proudly say, here stands my collection, vetted from the deep of the earth, cleaned by the professionals, and bought with an amount that an abacus can't count?
Will it be the end of an era of money flexing?
Well, I am not sure, but I will be disappointed— that's a guarantee. You might be wondering how much wealth this man possesses. No, don't take me as a wealthy person, not even close if it's the monetary aspect you are stuck to. But I do love seeing people earn millions of dollars and announcing it in public.
No, no sarcasm is meant, and it's purely for my benefit.
Now, who but a crazy person wants to see others earn millions without claiming a fair share of his own?
Well, is there a problem if you earn while I can't at your pace?
Nope, not at all. I want you to collect the bounty, not because I can't. It's because while you double your effort and get the most of it, I will claim my share from the rest; slowly but evidently.
How so!
It's possible only in decentralised platforms like Hive. The more you are trading and doubling your wealth, the more you are stabilising the platform— making it secure for the long term which is enough for small minnows like me to plan out a decent living within this ecosystem. It's your activity that is keeping the ecosystem healthy and growing. You are keeping us alive while your desire for more is fattening your portfolio, leaving the residue for the scavengers and triggering the capitalistic self.
In doing so, I can be one of the proud owners of a monocle in some distant future, who knows— while you become invincible. Nah, I won't mind if you become invincible because without you becoming the demi-god, I am nothing right now and never will be.
That's what I call a monocle attitude, fostering a capitalistic attitude within but letting others grow at the same time quite the opposite to mainstream capitalism.