Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses the concept that items which are numbered are considered more significant, which can affect the laws of nullification. That is, if ordinarily we might say a non kosher item will be nullified if mixed into a majority, if this non kosher item has a significance in that it is counted and sold by numbers instead of volume, it will not be nullified.
The idea that something becomes important when it is counted is discussed in a philosophical manner in regard to wealth by the Maharal (Nesiv Haosher, Chapter 2.) He says, that money is counted which shows that subjectively it is accorded great significance by people. Yet this is a subjective illusion and he goes onto show how the four Hebrew words used for money hint at this. The four words are: Nechasim נכסים, zuzim זוזים, maos מעות, mammon ממון.
Nechasim, literally possessions, also has the root of nichse covered. Money is an illusion and has no intrinsic value. It appears and disappears.
Zuzim has the root zuz, to move because money easily changes hands. One cannot be sure how long it will stay in your hands.
Maos has the root es עת , which implies something temporal. We just do not know how long we can hold onto money.
And finally, mammon, which is asking מה מונה? What are you really counting? Why do you consider money as something important to count?
Of course we all live in the real world and it is difficult to extricate ourselves from these illusions. However, we can reflect on it and be careful not to overvalue money in consideration of other more intrinsic valuables.
Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation
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