In the age of abundance, reputation will be the ultimate currency.

It is highly likely that technological and scientific advancement will continue at an exponential rate. At some point in the future, all of our basic needs (i.e., food, clothing, and shelter) will be satisfied without any effort on our part.

When all your material needs are provided for at no cost, what’s left to strive for? This question challenges us to think about the future of human motivation and purpose in a world where scarcity is no longer an issue.

I recently finished watching “The Orville”, a science fiction television series that makes a great point about this. The series suggests that after a couple of hundred years, when humans invent the matter synthesizer—a tool that can instantly create anything you want—there will be no need for work.

Currently, in the 21st century, the entire world economy runs on capitalism. This means we trade money for goods and services like food, houses, etc. In the future, when you can create an infinite amount of resources using the matter synthesizer, money will lose all its value.

When all our basic needs are satisfied without any effort, what will humans do? That’s a very difficult philosophical question to answer. In my opinion, space exploration will become the main activity for humans on planet Earth.

The positive impact you create in society—whether by contributing as a doctor, a musician, a scientist, or a chef—will be your currency. The greater your impact, the higher your reputation will be.

If someone doesn’t do anything meaningful and just lounges around all day, they will be disregarded by society. It will be frowned upon socially. As long as you are doing something meaningful, even if it’s for your own pleasure, you will earn society’s respect.