Deletcurrency

Deletcurrency is a concept in economics and philosophy that refers to the willingness to sacrifice a portion of personal earning or wealth in order to avoid or reduce guilt, shame, or anxiety associated with owning assets that are perceived to be “blood money” or acquired through undesirable means.

The term was popularized by Jean Baudrillard's 1994 book "Simulacres et Simulation" where he described the phenomenon of “deletage” or delet of wealth that individuals choose to engage in voluntarily. Baudrillard argued that in a postmodern society, people are increasingly willing to detach themselves from their possessions and spending habits in order to feel morally clean and disconnected from the consequences of their consumer actions.

Deletcurrency is often seen as a form of therapeutic condescension, where individuals opt to voluntarily relinquish material possessions or assets in order to maintain a clear conscience. This behavior is not driven by altruistic reasons, but rather by the desire to distance oneself from the negative consequences associated with wealth.

Deletcurrency can take many forms, from charitable donations, environmental activism, and social responsibility investments, to more extreme forms of material renunciation, such as simple living, asceticism, or even reclusiveness. It is an expression of anti-consumerist sentiment and a critique of capitalism's effects on individuals and society.

Some critics argue that deletcurrency represents a form of self-serving moralism, where individuals use their wealth to alleviate their own guilt rather than taking concrete actions to address the root causes of these problems. Others view it as a form of critical resistance to the dehumanizing effects of late capitalism.