I always chuckle when I hear the screeches of the latest “Oh my god they’re so horrible,” as I look at the avatars involved, and realize that I know many of them personally, and that they are, in fact, some of the most high-integrity, upstanding human beings I know, basically just all in on the same cosmic joke.
If you remove all the noise, what’s really happening here is the revealing of character. An aversion to that, or at least an emotionally-charged response, is most likely proof that the judgment accrued was, at least in some sense, valid.
Sure, nobody has the “right” to judge you, as all of us are imperfect. But, in my experience, I have found that to be a suboptimal perspective to take on what could otherwise be helpful data in furthering the enterprise of your own self-understanding and development. Put another way, it seems to me that a more useful approach, if we wish to learn as much as possible, is to seek to tease the good out of the bad, not the other way around.
It may be wise to remember, at least in this regard, that “ego is the enemy.”
So, if you find yourself frequently getting sand in your trousers, perhaps its worth considering that less ego will likely not only reduce the propensity for cyber swarms to “sting” you, and not only lead to greater access to truth (generally speaking), but will probably just make all of this a lot more fun.
Nobody is actually angry here (unless you are). It’s all just a game, ultimately for your own benefit.
Now, on monetary maximalism.
I’m not even going to explain this one here. There are lots of great resources out there which make the case for why bitcoin will emerge as the winner in the global competition for money, and why that would be a very good thing to have happen (to say the least!).
That said, bitcoin becoming the next dominant global money is but one aspect of this “cultural phenomenon.” The qualities or principles which seem to be represented in bitcoin, the circumstances of the environment in which it’s emerging and the manner in which it seems to be beneficially altering perception, is having a number of fascinating and, as far as I can tell, extremely positive effects on those who “see it,” which extend into areas far beyond just money and economics.
So, might Bitcoiners (yes, I’m projecting here) be wrong on some of the things they currently discuss, espouse or represent?
Of course.
Nobody knows what Bitcoin really is yet, and certainly not all its implications, nor why it’s having the effect on people which it is, nor how that effect may change in the future. Which is all to say, this enterprise, and each one of us engaged in it, is/are a work in progress.
Is it so bad that a growing group of people refuse to outsource their determination of truth to some (likely corrupt and/or incompetent) institutions which are far removed from the reality of their own life? That they learn and experiment for themselves? That they wish to rely on themselves or each other rather than the state?
Maybe they aren’t waiting for some douche hole in a lab coat (looking at you Ancel Keys) to tell them what is best for them, or what is right or wrong. They are more than willing and capable to engage in the process of figuring such things out for themselves, or at least trying that option first. They haven’t jacked themselves into the big government/business/media matrix for the manufacture of their worldview, in fact they’ve unplugged themselves from it, and are actively engaged in the process of determining what life looks like, and what it could look like, outside of it.
Yes, this means more work may be required to figure things out (culture promulgates for good reason), and this will involve lots of vigorous debate, and error. They obviously think that’s a fair trade, and I for one think it’s fucking incredible that they’ve — we’ve — now got something in bitcoin with which to better stand up to the Frankenstein of an increasingly tyrannical statist/fiat monoculture that dominates the world today. The process of doing so, it would seem, is turning them into a better, more courageous, more capable, more admirable version of themselves, exceeding what many had even thought possible.
The recognition of the central importance of individual development, of character, of taking responsibility for those things that are most meaningful, like one’s own physical, mental and financial sovereignty, is increasingly recognized as the only hope we have of building, one person at a time, a world that is more fair, more just, more prosperous, more peaceful, and more truthful than anything that has been experienced before.
If this is true (and I believe it largely is), is an uncompromising attitude about the tool which is facilitating much of it, not warranted?
“But can’t they just be nicer about it?”
Well, to be fair, most actually are (SHAME!).
But more importantly, do you want them to be? Really? What is it you’d prefer they not say or do? Say mean things to you? What if there is a value in those mean things? What if, despite their delivery, there is actually something there that might be useful to you? You’d rather they just keep quiet so you can stay in your familiar little bubble? Or would you rather they give you some feedback that you might be able to use? And not “Oreo cookie” feedback, but the real kind, out in the open, blunt, honest, for everyone to see? Is this not what you would want if you were truly pursuing your own development with the utmost sincerity?
Those were rhetorical questions. Your answer(s), indeed all of ours, is already evident in how we choose to engage and react to such things.
Bitcoiners (at least this one) want to be shown where they are going astray, or at least have it put to them so they can consider it, and then recalibrate themselves if they determine they should. They willingly engage in that process, and the humility, courage and levity they do it with is something to be praised, not scorned. But just to clarify, surely it’s impossible to escape noticing that Bitcoiners fight amongst themselves just as much as they do with whatever person or group is currently playing their supposed victim, right?
This would appear to be the cost of having truth, rather than easy answers, as the top priority.
But while we’re here, for the sake of clarity, let’s make a distinction between nice and kind. Nice, in my opinion, is some intentionally-softened language to avoid upsetting someone’s fragile sensibilities, and is most appropriately used with children and strangers. Kind, on the other hand, is speaking to someone in a manner that you believe leaves them better off, or is most truthful, or serves the highest possible outcome of your interaction, as unconventional, unfamiliar, unappreciated or triggering to the receiver of said speech such an approach may be.
This is no easy task, and it does appear to me that many who might even agree with this approach, including Bitcoiners, often fail and fall victim to their own emotions, presumptions, egos, etc. But is this still not preferable? At least it’s an attempt at speaking the truth. And if it’s not even that, at least it’s someone who feels sufficiently unencumbered by the strictures of the current culturally-sanctioned language parameters to say whatever is on their mind, no matter how crazy or ugly it may sound. I’d say even that is more preferable to a false, restrained and ultimately unhelpful politeness.
… Ok, that was a longer detour than anticipated.
What was I talking about?
Oh yeah, the beefsteak. Anyways, the point of the story is that after an awesome evening, and having several Bitcoiners come up to me and say “Hey, your dad is super cool. Like, way cooler than you …” (he WAS wearing his beefsteak ball cap backwards, which, I must admit, looked très cool), my dad and I sat up for a nightcap at the place we were staying.
Him: “Man, that was so awesome. I just can’t believe how humble, polite, interesting, interested, hopeful, intelligent, genuine, motivated, principled and fun to be around everyone was. Like I didn’t encounter anyone who wasn’t like that.”
Me: “Yup. That’s Bitcoiners.”
Him: “You have to appreciate that I’m not used to experiencing such a high concentration of all those things in one place. My world is filled with complaints, victims, arrogance, and all sorts of other shit. That was so refreshing!”
Me: “Yup. It’s pretty cool, huh?”
Him: “Man, it’s amazing.”
So what is it that separates, differentiates, or otherwise causes my dad and I to have such a dramatically different experience than those who think bitcoin is being held back or otherwise deleteriously affected by the very same group of people?
Well, while most complex social phenomena have many contributory causes, it appears to me that the bulk of this one is actually fairly clear.
(Prepare for more projecting and presuming …)
It seems that more and more people are beginning to realize, or appreciate more than before, the importance and benefit of certain values, and have become engaged in the process of understanding them better and using them to orient their behavior (consciously or not).
The two most prominent among them, as far as I can tell, seem to be truth and freedom.
In bitcoin, they have found an “object” that appears to be both one of the highest-fidelity representations of these values ever implemented, as well as the literal mechanism by which more of those two things can be accessed or brought into their life. The juxtaposition of such a thing, with the broader culture of today, has created a tremendous shared enthusiasm for actualizing its perceived potential.
The striving toward something so important, meaningful and consequential, and the shared humility which it seems to instill (or select for), at least in relation to the central object of attention (bitcoin), creates fertile soil for and brings down barriers to, connecting with others doing the same.
In such an environment, and precisely opposite to the mobs of the detractors, the relatively unimportant or superficial differences between people, can actually be celebrated as points of interest, or at a minimum seen as irrelevant and ignored, rather than divisive. Real “diversity,” yay!
What brings us together, as is so often the case, is a common reverence for certain values, and a common dedication to a (highly meaningful) cause.
We are participating in what is possibly one of the most profound revolutions in human history here, which among other things, seems to have individual moral development as a prominent component. Certain values or moral principles appear to me to be “built-in” to bitcoin, and so, if true, is it any surprise that its effect on people (often) includes a strong moral dimension? Or introduces a moral imperative? Or even fosters a moral transformation?
I can appreciate how absurd this might sound, and it certainly was a surprising observation to me, but what if there’s something to it? Is it not a noble thing to be striving for?
Perhaps the form this phenomenon is taking is unexpected, or is making you uncomfortable in some way, which is unfortunate, but then again, perhaps there’s something of value to be learned from that response.
There’s a growing group of people out there in the world who’ve decided that there are few things more important than leveraging the benefits of bitcoin, pursuing an understanding of it, contributing to it, and remaining open to how engaging in that process is fostering positive change in their life, and accelerating the emergence of whatever latent potential both they and it might possess.
As a part of this process, it seems to be the case that many are increasingly acting as though the content of one’s character is of paramount importance — above even the content of one’s Medium page.
I’m inclined to agree.
This is a guest post by John Vallis. Opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.