My concept of money is completely changed after learning of the Yap. The article made me realize that people rarely see all of their money. The way the Yap ran their monetary system is almost identical to how countries all over the world run theirs even though the Yap was based on large circular stones with a hole in the middle instead of paper currency. These stones were called Fei. The systems are the same as in people do not actually have to see their money to know that it belongs to them but according to Milton Friedman one of the wealthiest Yap families said they were rich because they mined an enormous Fei but unfortunately had to drop it in the ocean to save their lives. No one else ever saw the Fei but still it was not questioned that the family could have been lying. [This would be the equivalent to someone today saying they are rich but having no proof or record to show for it which would never happen.] The Yap family could have easily made the story up to gain wealth even though there was no proof of the Fei that they supposedly lost at sea which proved their system was flawed even though it worked well most of the time. Our monetary system is also flawed but at a much larger scale. A perfect example is how Bernie Madoff committed fraud which is similar to what the Yap family could have done. Although we as a society have come a long way from paying people in stones, we have not ventured too far from the concept.
Sources:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2011/02/15/131934618/the-island-of-stone-money
“The Island of Stone Money”
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Counterintuitive Fall 2022 
Some preliminary notes on clarity of language and logic, Erik. (And some red highlights for FFG miscues you must correct and not repeat.)
I understand “never actually see” is important, but “never . . . almost all” is a confusing construction. “Actually see very little” of their money makes sense. So does “actually see almost none” of their money
“a hole in the middle called Fei” sounds like you’re naming the holes.
“what surprised me the most according to Milton Friedman” means that Mr. Friedman has announced what surprised you.
“said they were rich because they had to leave an enormous Fei in the ocean” is not what you mean. You mean they said they were rich because they mined an enormous Fei, which was unfortunately lost at sea.
“It was not questioned that they made the story up” means everybody agreed the story was a lie.
I really didn’t understand the green one at first (it’s just one logic note). What you mean is that the fact that the family’s wealth might be based on a lie is a flaw in the system. That makes sense. But what you say is that people might lie, which is a flaw in the system. That’s not logical. Of course people lie. If their lies go uncovered, or if everybody blindly accepts them, that’s a flaw.
The three red notes violate rules of essential grammar.
Thanks for posting early, Erik. I’m glad to hear you found the reading interesting.