Tyranny of total transactionalism

by Bob Schwartz

Let’s make a deal.

Transactions are part of life.

Commerce and trade, individual and institutional, depend on it. It is the same for personal, social and even religious dynamics. This for that. Do this to get that.

Transactions can become a dominant ideology and style. Let’s call it total transactionalism. Everything becomes a transaction.

We don’t have to look far to see this on display. We may have to look a little harder to see it in ourselves.

We can’t stop all transacting and can’t ask others to stop all transacting. We might investigate how much of what goes on and what we do is a transaction. We can determine whether that transactionalism is for the best.

It probably isn’t.

© 2025 by Bob Schwartz