Wha?
Discussion
For example, as a child, you wanted to learn things, so you did labor such as figuring out how to read, and you were paid in knowledge.
Another example: as an adult, you have probably tried to think of something comforting to say to someone grieving a loved one's death, for no pay at all.
I posit that if you had to live in a world where, starting tomorrow, you will never see a child learn anything, and nobody will care how you feel if your loved ones die; you would prefer going without everything you've ever paid money for.
I get that. I think I just didn't fully comprehend your last bit about valuable things not ever being paid for in money, but Satoshi wasn't trying to fix these non-economic activities, which are mostly outside the purview of what the elites can control. So everything that can be transacted between market participants.
7+7+7 seems more arbitrary, but maybe there's some Satoshi jackpot reference I've never heard about.
If Satoshi meant 21 as half of 42 for the reasons you're explaining, I don't think that would be all there is to it. He seemed to just see money as a tool, so I don't see him designing a purely focused message of "money is half of the meaning of life."
With the 7+7+7, mining bitcoin is a lot like re-rolling again and again on a slot machine. I assume that's at least part of the reference with the 21. It's also common for 21 to be used as a lucky number because of the 3x7 thing by my understanding