Nicholas Antonopoulos on Nostr: Bitcoin Has Overcome Greed, but Can It Overcome Envy? Greed has long been considered ...

Bitcoin Has Overcome Greed, but Can It Overcome Envy?

Greed has long been considered the bane of humanity, the cause of most societal problems, and deleterious to the advancement of our species. The Bitcoin protocol has established incentives to channel our greed into a collective energy building a fairer system where one man, or group’s, greed cannot surreptitiously put a chokehold on the rules. The protocol is set in digital stone, and it is a protocol where greed is encouraged so we may invest our time and energy into a system whereby our wealth cannot be siphoned off by the likes of even greedier bankers. Bitcoin welcomes these greedy bankers, for they will only add to the collective progression of wealth without being able to apply the pressure of power over the little guys.

This is perhaps the single greatest feat of Bitcoin, and is enough to change the trajectory of our downward spiral. Yet, there is another sin, another pernicious human characteristic, that may be even more difficult to overcome; envy. Many, if not all, evils committed throughout human history can be traced back to this poisonous water soaking deep down into the roots of our darkest intentions. Bitcoin fixes this, Bitcoin fixes that, but can it fix envy?

There is a widespread perception of early Bitcoiners as simply being lucky, right place right time, or tech nerds who somehow understood its value. People may never understand the level of conviction needed to withstand eighty percent downturns, the faith being rewarded, but it does not matter. They see a group of people who jumped on something they missed. For years I dismissed Bitcoin for this reason, ostensibly saying it has no value and dismissing it, but this was fueled by jealousy. As Bitcoin continues to grow in value, so will the rest of the world’s jealousy, and anger. Most people are envious of millionaires and billionaires, but there is at least an understanding that some of them earned it through hard work. No such concessions will be given to wealthy Bitcoiners. Bitcoin could become the new Wall Street, viewed with scathing envy as a cheap play on gaining extreme wealth.

Where is the counterpoint to this perception? The counterpoint is in the counterculture of Bitcoin, the philosophy of Bitcoin. If Bitcoin is to succeed as the world’s global reserve currency, it will first be needed as the world’s reserve morality. The world over is tired of economics, as the vast majority have got nothing but screwed over for their labor and time. Bitcoin is much more than a new economic paradigm, it is a sea change in how we view the world and the benefits of low time preference. We used to appreciate pyramids, great novels, stunning architecture, beautiful artwork, but now our focus is sucked in by Tik Tok videos. What we focus on is what we manifest, and in this fiat world we have manifested a culture of addiction, quick dopamine hits at the expense of well earned serotonin. Our focus has been stolen by the frenetic pace of a fiat world. Our labor is unsecured, at risk of being robbed from us any minute. In this world, envy saturates our collective roots while wisdom dries and dies in the dirt.

Through wisdom we may protect the goodness of the Bitcoin protocol, but this wisdom must be taught. Our best weapons aimed at the corrosive envy of the future are all the podcasts, books, articles, and hopefully institutions that will be established once the value of Bitcoin rises. Ancient Greeks understood the vital importance of having bedrock philosophy to guide their culture, and created institutions around it. The Bitcoin protocol gives rise to the opportunity for us to reestablish a philosophy of wisdom and goodness once again, to put a premium on low time preference and the societal benefits of focusing our energy into the future. Thankfully, due to the concerted efforts of Bitcoiners, we are well on the way to this path. However, our attention must stay focused on the principles and not distracted by the greed and envy of the fiat world. Jealousy and envy will be inevitable, but can be tampered by a consistent effort to provide the wisdom collected throughout the years of the blockchain’s ticking clock.

Not everyone will benefit financially from Bitcoin, or gain the valuable time they deserve. Bitcoin itself will not save the world, but Bitcoiners can be the example of hope they so desperately need. Bitcoin changes that way you think, forces you to question certain realities, and provides a shining glimmer of hope. This hope can be harnessed and exemplified by building businesses, creating art, and establishing new institutions that dig deeper into the depths of human ingenuity. Bitcoin has given us the gift of time, and this excess time should be hyper-focused on improving society, whatever form it may take. This is what drew me into Bitcoin, the depth of intellectual discussions around it and the well of inspiration I accumulated thereby. Bitcoiners should continue to inspire the world with their intellect and creativity. Draw them in with the greed and then keep them with the hope, the philosophy, the creations. A solely economic lens applied to Bitcoin will only spur more envy, reminding people of the opportunity they missed, but we can capture them with a wider net of inspiration.

The Satoshi story is the mythical foundation, but the disciples must spread the word with more stories, better stories. Stories that truly infect people with the contagion of hope. Nobody remembers the currency or financial institutions of Ancient Greece or Egypt, but they do remember and revere their culture and the beautiful creations they left behind that still have us in awe to this day. Their ideas were encapsulated with beautiful narratives and their ingenuity preserved in the architecture. Both were made to withstand the test of time, and were mindfully created to carry forth their cultures through the ages. Do we look back on these cultures with envy? Or are we still inspired by what they created? We must leave behind the myopic cynicism of the fiat world and create a permeable bubble of longstanding hope and inspiration around Bitcoin.

We are all trapped in this fiat world, and the best way to defeat envy is through inspiration. We will not speak down to the disenfranchised masses, but show them what can be done when you invest in a system that invests in you. The enlightenment of hard money savings will not be remembered, but what we were able to create on top of this foundation will be. Our actions and creations will speak to the power of saving with Bitcoin, because our time will not be perverted or subverted, our focus will be on the future, our focus will be hope. No, Bitcoin cannot defeat envy, but we can.

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