Money isn't just time. It's also speed.

Why Einstein could have told you Beyoncé has more than 24-hrs in a day.

Einstein sketched out for us a universe where time flexes around mass. Like boulders on a thin stretched piece of fabric every little pebble you put on it, just like every smaller planet is drawn into the orbit of the bigger one.

But in a social sense, this is useful framework to understand how capital functions under capitalism and some of the interesting under explored quirks about it.

Now, consider capital as the heavyweight in our socio-economic cosmos.

Beyoncé’s rapid life achievements? That’s big money bending her timeline. She knows money doesn’t just talk: it sprints. But for the rest of us, without the capital mass, it’s a slower orbit. Yet, with tech’s promise of democratization, maybe, just maybe, we can all find shortcuts in this great dance of wealth and time.

Ever wondered why the milestones of your favorite celebrity seem to just happen faster? Kids, car, house, all by the ripe age of 25? Well, maybe it’s true what they say: we don’t all have the same amount of hours as Beyoncé. But why?

Reason #1: Time isn’t a constant

If Einstein’s big gift to the world was showing us that time isn’t like some big evenly spaced ruler but sort of like a fabric dynamically wrapping and stretching itself around the biggest objects in our solar system, Well, why is it weird to think of money in the same way?

We’ve all seen the almost gravitational pull vast amounts of capital has on people under capitalism. What conceptual realities open up when we think of capital as mass and the objects of our lives — our opportunities, our relationships, our major life milestones — are all rolling towards the biggest objects nearest to them. Sounds complex but not really. Not more complex than spacetime.

For example, if physics tell us that we must think about space and time together — in a social system built and run by capital it’s not so strange to see money being just as integral to the passage of time as anything else. Think about it. Have you ever thought about the way a small town in need of a large tax base necessarily waits decades for the smallest road repairs or maybe sadly, how an uncle might delay a much-needed surgery because every pay day he just doesn’t have that much relative to his need. It’s through examples like thisI’ve seen play out in my own community that we can glimpse the vast chasm between the money-rich and see that they are actually rich in time as a result. Doesn’t mean they’re necessarily going to live longer but they are handed the opportunity to put more events and pivots and remedying of issues into those years than most.

Capital, it seems then, really does have a gravity all its own gravity, pulling milestones closer to some while pushing them farther away for others.

Reason #2: Time Dilation: Capital Warps Our Perception of Success Via Speed

Consider this: those with vast capital reserves can effectively “bend” the fabric of socio-economic spacetime. Their milestones come quicker, their achievements are many, and their paths seem predestined. This is not just the privilege of wealth but the power to shape the very progression of life itself.

Going back to Einstein, one of the things he discovered as a corralary of space and time not being constant is that for someone moving fast, they experience time very differently than someone moving at regular speed such that 10, 20, 100-years for one could be a few minutes for the other. And the same can be said about how money shapes the experience of how we move through the social fabric of life.

This dynamic applies at every socio-economic level. The rate at which we can achieve our goals, the speed with which we can recover from setbacks, all are governed by the amount of the gravitational pull of capital we can amass or, for good or for bad, how early it was amassed on that person’s behalf.

Reason #3: Technology — An Equalizer of Energy (Wormholes)

So, does this mean the rest of us are just doomed to trudge along at a snail’s pace? Not necessarily. In the digital age, tools and platforms can act as “wormholes,” shortcuts that disrupt the usual flow of money and time. Digital goods, autonomous vehicles, remote work, AI/ML products, and even crypto offer paths that democratize our efforts such that the will of one person is multiplied (shortening time in many multiples, giving back the person hours off their commute, for child care, our access to distribution channels it may have taken a version of them without the technology years rather than days).

Not, let’s debunk a myth: money doesn’t necessarily equate to time with loved ones. Rich parents might not have as much time for their children as one might think. Sure, they can deflect life’s asteroids with capital, but at what cost? They might mitigate some issues with therapy or tutors, but no amount of money can replace genuine connection.

Conclusion: Navigating the Space of Socio-Economic Time

In the end, our journeys are not so different. Whether you’re soaring in the orbit of vast capital or navigating the more grounded paths of the everyday, understanding the interplay of money and time is crucial. Every decision we make, every path we choose, bends our individual spacetime fabric in unique ways. So, as you ponder your next move, remember: it’s not just about the hours in a day — it’s about how you use them. And while I might have had a head start in understanding this intricate dance, the floor is open for everyone. Your move.

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