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@ ZimFox
2024-09-04 20:50:26(roles in the adoption space)
Being different matters - At first!
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man (Shaw, 1903).
h/t Everyone who is Satoshi.
It is probably fair to say Satoshi, Hal Finney, Adam Back et al. and we early ones are amongst the crazy ones.
Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the rebels, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes… the ones who see things differently — they’re not fond of rules… You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things… they push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do. (Jobs, 1997).
Sub-conclusion - To rid ourselves of fiat required radical thought - a base on which to build.
Most Babies learn to Walk
Born with the normal count of fingers toes etc, by the age of 26 I reckoned I had pretty much mastered walking (or so I believed) - until recently I fell, whereupon five things struck me deeply:
- Ageing and the associated decline is another form of novelty - I can resist it, it will eventually win but meanwhile I can adapt - and being alive is about adapting
- Things I have learnt must inevitably include all the things things I need to unlearn
- Things I have not learnt can become urgent (perhaps a wheechair lies in my future) and the learning can be delayed by the requisite unlearning from point 2 above
- Walking was something the masses did before I ever achieved it - which was probably what prompted me to adopt it as a means of ambulation
- The floor
Sub-conclusion - Mass adoption requires; * initiation (the crazy ones) * attention (seeing what others do) * unlearning (elimination of perceived assumptions) * learning (PoW) * emulation ( doing what others do) * mastery (practice doing it well) * review (figuring out what is no longer valuable) * evangelism (Helping others towards Truth)
OK - I have your attention - now what ? (Unpopular opinions incoming)
Eccentricity is not important to anything other than grabbing attention. Bitcoin is well beyond the thresh-hold of needing Eccentrics. We could all name them (and should appreciate their efforts).
The Overton window (that which may be normally spoken of) has become big enough that includes the best of our thinkers now. Analysts, Politicians, Purists, Financial advisers ??, Maxis, Left, Right & Centre.
But most of all it needs the centre. The extremes are great for raising attention and have the greatest voice on lesser social media platforms (which may be a thing of the past when you read this). However, it is clear that out of the centre (the Ex-centrics ? ) will come the mass of humanity that can benefit from bitcoin.
The bulk of future normies (users of bitcoin when only laggards use fiat) must come from the centre - because that is where they are now.
So decentralists or if you prefer "ex-centrics" will be easiest to help if we are seen as different - but reasonable, attractive and something to aspire to. The generosity / loving nature of many Bitcoiners will continue to win hearts (and minds)
Again unpopular perhaps (I should not care) - but this means ideally; - avoiding offensive behaviour (potty language) - avoiding ejection of those who are different (even if you reject their lifestyle choices) - understanding that we all start somewhere on this journey - smaller egos - I am a Bitcoin Maximalist by many definitions but, while my Christianity, what I eat, my and even my choice of frying pan may be most important to me - they may not help evangelise a better bitcoin future.
FWIW I think Bitcoin & Christianity go hand-in-glove in the journey toward a better future , but respect your (God given) right to disagree
Conclusion
Its time to stop thinking we are special and become normal - because that is what hyper-bitcoinisation implies.
To achieve this we need to find ways to secure legislation, peacefully dis-empower fiat states (a side effect - but IMHO a good one), make learning easier, remove barriers (FUD, technological etc) and lend a sympathetic ear to anyone who asks, what, why, how because that's how we all learn:
I keep six honest serving-men (They taught me all I knew); Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who. I send them over land and sea, I send them east and west; But after they have worked for me, I give them all a rest.... (Kipling; The Elephant’s Child)
One day, if we do as well as we must, we will be able to claim - but we are just normal !