Psychological researchers experimented with apes and the use of tokens back in the 20th century. First they introduced the apes to tokens and while they found them mildly interesting they quickly lost interest and tokens were left scattered around the training area. Next The apes were taught to pull the lever on a vending machine in order to get food items. Pull the lever under the apple, get an apple. Pull the lever under the banana, get a banana and so forth.
The apes caught on quickly and accessed the food items whenever they wanted to eat. Next they were taught to put a token in the machine in order to be able to pull a lever. Suddenly the tokens took on a new significance. Token equals food, no token no food.
Even though tokens were abundant the apes would hoard them, saving them to the point of starving because of the abstract value of a token. Apes would fight for them, steal them and hoard them whereas they had shared food freely before. Why is it that so many people are proud to support a presidential candidate with such an ape like pathological need to acquire and hoard more and more and more?
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