Navigating The Hostile Waters Of Bitcoin Discussion

"Bitcoin is the stupidest thing in the world” – words spit out to me by a co-worker I have known for 8 years.

“I will never take money advice from you” – uttered by the same co-worker right before he spat on Bitcoin.

It wasn’t the words that stood out to me, but rather the hostility behind the eyes and facial expression.

This particular conversation was not the first time we had talked about Bitcoin.

I was already aware that my co-worker didn’t think highly of the world-changing technology.

However, this was the first time that I had ever encountered such hostility and seemingly repressed anger from my co-worker in my entire 8 years of knowing him.

Aside from being taken back by his comments and demeanor, my mind instantly flung itself to one of my all-time favorite quotes:

Nothing can be loved or hated unless it is first understood

Leonardo da Vinci

I think of this quote often and believe it is perfect and applicable to Bitcoin today.

By nature, we humans have a predisposition to dislike and oppose things we do not understand. It is the path of least resistance to oppose and automatically reject things that we do not automatically comprehend.

We will likely discard or oppose things that challenge our views, values, and thoughts.

Part of the reason personal growth and change are difficult is because to undergo growth means to effectively kill off a part of us that followed an old belief.

If something new and “mysterious” were to come along (Bitcoin) that tells you everything you knew and believed was wrong, it is logical that you oppose, criticize, and reject this disruptor.

It is with disappointment I say that this demeanor, negativity, and hostility towards Bitcoin are more or less normal for me when engaging in discussions with people about Bitcoin.

However, I understand why people react this way. The hostility makes sense.

Bitcoin challenges everything in the system that humans around the world have been living in for generations.

Everything that societies and cultures have accepted as fact as if it were a law of nature. It is my goal in these engagements to disarm this hostility.

I think that over the past decade or so we as a people have collectively forgotten how to disagree with each other and have cool-tempered and respectful discussions and arguments.

Arguing is good.

It means that two opposing ideas are being presented, discussed, and thought about.

The world would be dull if everyone agreed all of the time. I would even argue that discussions around ideas and thoughts would come off as ingenuine and fake. Though, I digress.

The best way to overcome this hostility is to kill it with kindness.

I approach every interaction I have about Bitcoin with kindness and try to understand the other person’s point of view. I then focus on teaching and educating them about Bitcoin.

My first question when someone says Bitcoin is stupid is “Why do you think that?”. Normally, the answer is full of inaccuracies and misconceptions about Bitcoin.

I love watching people’s facial expressions change and the gears begin to turn as I break down their misconceptions.

It’s fine if they don’t leave the conversation being orange-pilled.

My only goal in these interactions is to dismantle the misconceptions and misunderstandings about Bitcoin. I also like to think of it as planting “orange seeds”. Planting an idea in someone’s mind that they can choose to explore and research further if they desire.

At times it can be difficult to not combat hostility with hostility.

When you have put in the time, work, and effort to understand something, it is easy to want to deflect attacks and hostility with sarcasm and point out flaws in a topic that the other person does not understand.

While it may feel good, it feels even better to counter negativity with posivity.

Teaching and spreading education with open arms and kindness is the quickest way to a better, Bitcoin future.