Energy as Money

Metaphor: Energy is often described as a “currency” that can be “spent,” “saved,” or “wasted,” suggesting it behaves like money in an economy.

Problem / Misleading Aspect: This metaphor imports human concepts of value, scarcity, and morality into physical processes. It encourages thinking that energy has intrinsic purpose or ethical significance, rather than being a relational potential actualised through interactions. Readers may imagine the universe managing a ledger, with credits and debts, rather than understanding energy as a property of particle alignments and systemic interactions.

Relational Ontology Correction: Energy is a measure of relational possibilities within a system. It is neither valuable nor spendable outside the context of actualised interactions. There is no “bank” of energy, and no agent deciding how it is allocated.

Parody / Conceptual Highlight: Taken literally, one might picture the Sun issuing loans to Earth, black holes hiding tax havens, and electrons squabbling over who gets the last joule. The humour highlights the conceptual misstep: the money metaphor misleads by suggesting intention, value, and management where only relational potential actualisation occurs.