Why Human Societies Need to Believe in Myths in Order to Exist

I recently went on a trip to Mongolia. I used their currency the tugrik to buy daily things like Americanos; if brewed coffee exists there I never found it! I also used American dollars for bigger purchases like my guided tour since people tend to trust it more than the local money. I met some guys from Inner Mongolia, which is a part of China now. But they came over to Mongolia proper to learn more about their own heritage through horse riding, archery and so on. I learned about Genghis Khan’s expansive empire that stretched from the shores of China to the mountains of Eastern Europe. He was responsible for the deaths of millions but also responsible for the Pax Mongolica, the peace that prevented war and unrest throughout the world after his conquests. Human rights were both shattered and upheld under his rule. The thing is though, Mongolian money, Mongolia itself, and even human rights do not actually exist. I may be insane but hear me out. Does the physical paper we call currency exist? Obviously yes. But it holds no inherent value in and of itself. You can’t eat it. You can’t build a house with it. It only holds value because enough people say that it does and are willing to play by the rules we all made up. It’s imaginary value that only matters because everyone buys into the same idea. Website