We see the image of the pyramid on the US one dollar bill. Why was it place there? What is the meaning of this symbol?

You are welcome to do your research and share with me. The symbol of the pyramid is significant and it has a message which you and I need to know.

Related: The spirits behind the pyramids

The basic structure of a pyramid is used to illustrate particular systems or theories in our everyday life.

For example, Abraham Maslow – a Psychologist wrote a paper in 1943 about the theory of human motivation, and he used the pyramid to demonstrate his ideas.

Maslow claimed that all humans are motivated to obtain individual needs, but some needs are more superior or take precedence over others.

For example, he said that man’s basic needs are food, clothes, shelter, and safety, and they comprised the physiological needs. They are located at the bottom of the pyramid.

The next levels are the psychological needs of love, friendship, and belonging. Then, as you climb higher where the shape gets smaller, a group of people is featured who have achieved self-esteem and feelings of accomplishment.

At the very top is self-fulfillment, which is achieving one’s full potential and includes one creative ability. This group is tiny because it is at the tip of the triangle.

Maslow claimed that as individuals satisfied their lower level needs, they will move to the higher level until they reach the very top.

If this is the case why is the hierarchy of need portrayed as a triangle?

It, therefore, means that very few people will ever reach the top and the majority will remain at the bottom.

Keep the hierarchy of needs in mind as we explore a little further.

In 1859, Charles Darwin wrote a book entitled The Origin of the Species by Natural Selection. This book brought a tidal wave of controversy in both the religious and scientific world.

Many Christians including myself refused to read this book because we considered it to be against the principles of the Bible.

But, sometimes we need to read to gain knowledge and to be aware.

Most likely the small group at the very top of the pyramid who have attained self-fulfillment will read this book. Perhaps because they have more time to explore their self-awareness and creative ability.

The essential idea of Darwin’s book

The book claimed that every species on earth is fertile enough to grow, but despite periodic fluctuations, the population remains the same size.

However, resources such as food are limited, and there may be a struggle to survive.

Everybody is different based on genetics thus persons who are less suited to the environments are less likely to survive and reproduce while those who are suitable to the environment are more apt to survive and produce and leave their genetic traits to the future generation, which produces the process of natural selection.

According to Darwin, over time nature will select the best offspring that will survive and they will eventually give rise (evolve) to new and higher species.

This is my understanding of his theory. You might understand it differently based on your knowledge, but you are welcome to share.

This theory is taught to our children in school.

I decided to combine both Darwin’s theory and Maslow Hierarchy of needs.

According to my humble analysis, since food is the basic need of the large group of people at the bottom and food is limited then most naturally this is the group that is less likely to survive.

The group at the top of the pyramid who are satisfied and contented are likely to survive and reproduce the advanced race of people.

Say, for argument sake the group at the top wants to hasten the process of natural selection, what do you think they will do?

Yes, you are right! They will limit the food supply or remove the nutritious value of food so that your belly is full, but you are malnourished, which will ultimately result in death.

The group at the top can also disrupt the group at the base sense of safety be infiltrating guns and drugs in their communities to hasten their demise.

They can also remove your shelter by increasing taxes or interest rates so that it will be almost impossible for the poor to own a home.

The Pyramid Schemes

The pyramid structure was also utilized in many financial schemes which robbed the base group of their hard earn money and gave the team at the top massive wealth.

The first time I heard about the pyramid scheme was during my youth in Jamaica.

A small group, for example, three people at the top put their money together, and one of the three people receive a lump sum of money.

The other two people can only receive their share when the invite three other individuals with their investment to join.

The group now consist of nine persons. The new members will only get paid if they bring in additional people with their money.

Thus, the pyramid gets larger and larger with the few people at the top becoming richer because they will always get a percentage of the money of every new member.

Read more about the pyramid scheme at INVESTOPEDIA

Eventually, the base of the pyramid gets so large that they cannot get enough people to join thus limiting the funds to pay each member.

The scheme eventually collapses, and many people at the base never receive their pay.

This crude financial system was developed into an investment plan founded by a cunning trickster. He robbed thousands of people of their hard-earned money.

How was he able to do this?

Read about it at Den of Thieves