Arguably, the greatest gift from the ancients was the invention of "Yellow".
The days before Yellow were filled with frustration, disappointment, hardships and misery.
Everyone spent their whole life doing two things: making something (or mastering a service) and then searching for anyone willing to accept that something (or service) in trade for the other's something (or skill); hopefully, both ending up with what each needed or wanted.
This situation was dubbed "YWIHVV" (pronounced Yiv) - You want, I have and vice-versa.
Rarely did a simple YWIHVV occur.
Usually, several sub-steps of mini or "pre-YHIWVVs" were necessary before the final YWIHVV was achieved.
The invention of Yellow solved all of that and more.
No need to bring a bunch of cattle to trade for another servant, concubine or bundle of spears when everyone accepted the versatile Yellow instead.
Since Yellow was considered rare on the Green Planet, everyone agreed upon it's utility and perceived value.
It was portable, divisible and accepted as payment everywhere.
The fact that Yellow merely "represented" the value of an underlying something or service (i.e., a value "place-holder", for the actual) was quickly forgotten by the masses and became an obscure topic relegated to the domain of fortune tellers and philosophers.
People simply just wanted Yellow.
So much so, that it seemed like at any given moment, someone, somewhere was attempting to pull off another Yellow heist or attempt yet another "fake" Yellow scam.
Over time, people became very used to using the ubiquitous Yellow; depending on it for every situation, need or want.
Ironically, they distrusted using anything else - even though they had no clue where Yellow came from, how it began, how it's regulated or how it is distributed.
Nor did they know of the "Powerful Shamans" lurking behind all that Yellow ceremonial smoke and secretly manipulating all the Yellow being used on the green planet.
One day, someone discovered that "Blue" could be used just like Yellow.
Unlike Yellow's mysterious way of being abundant one moment, then abruptly scarce the next - and for no apparent reason, the total amount of all Blue and it's distribution schedule was immutable and available to all 24/7.
For this and many more "Fair Use" reasons, Blue was easier and more accessible to the majority of Green Planet inhabitants - not just those related or strongly connected to the Shamans of Yellow.
Since it's inception, Yellow had morphed into a powerful tool of Shamanic control.
Yellow Shamanic institutions, religions and planet-wide rules were created - supposedly "for the good of all Greenkind"; but in truth, exist only to reinforce and sustain Yellow power.
Blue was like "a clean slate"; totally free from the superstitions, rituals and despotic control of the Shamans.
At first, anything Blue was considered nonsense and ignored by anyone who used and believed in Yellow.
Then Blue was discouraged and labeled as deviant and criminal.
Then, as Blue use steadily increased, several implosions of Blue establishments were engineered using "Yellow Inside Men".
Realizing the Green Planet can never be "Un-Blued" and purely Yellow ever again, Yellow's main focus now is flooding the Bluescape with "Blue-wrapped Yellow" and escalate the use of their vast amounts of Yellow to make sure Blue's future will be solidly under Shamanic control.
And the Green Planet's saga continues ...
[Personally, I'm rooting for the Blue side.]
Submitted for your amusement.
May you and yours be well and loving life today.
In Lak'ech, JaiChai