First, wider economic impact, relatively few people could afford silk, but a lot of people devoted their lives to making that silk. And as the market for silk grew, more and more people chose to go into silk production rather than doing something else with their lives. Second, the Silk Road didn't just trade luxury goods. In fact, arguably the most important thing traded along the Silk Road? Ideas. For example, the Silk Road was the primary route for the spread of Buddhism. When we last saw the Buddha's eightfold path to escaping the cycle of suffering and desire that's inherent to humans, it was beginning to dwindle in India.