Retreat to the physical

If you have an atheistic world-view, it's very hard to even acknowledge the existence of the metaphysical. Does a soul exist? What is meaning? Do abstract things exist?

What I've seen in this case is that such people generally retreat to the physical in some way, usually to some brain chemistry. In a sense, I can't blame them. If you deny the metaphysical, the physical is all you have and the closest thing in the physical world to the spiritual is the brain.

Yet it's a profoundly unsatisfying explanation. It's an attempt to sneak in the numinous and pretending that the cheap knock-off brand is somehow just as good.

When systems are predictable, you get more experimentation, innovation and exploration. When they're not, you get stagnation, politics and ossification.

The current monetary system is unpredictable. Bitcoin is predictable.

UBI will result in some serious hyperinflation.

Either you print the money to pay out UBI or you tax. Taxing is not going to go over well nor is cutting other programs. Both are political suicide in a fiat money system. Nobody respects hard choices when on opportunity cost-free money exists.

So what happens when you pay out UBI? They go and increase the supply of money. And this money doesn't go to any savings vehicles like the stock market or real estate. This goes straight into stuff like food, cars and rent. Which naturally means price increases for those things. Pretty soon, the prices have increased so much that UBI needs to increase to keep up. Rinse, repeat.

About 4-5 cycles later, you get hyperinflation.

# Desiring Status

The allure of status and the desire for approval from high-status peoples is intoxicating. Such esteem boosts our social standing and offers us credibility, essentially serving as a social drug. It’s similar to the rush of being treated like a rock star, with your every action being celebrated.

However, this pursuit of validation has its drawbacks. The praise and respect from the influential comes with a price. Usually, you have to achieve something remarkable to earn it, which is a challenging but merit-based approach. Alternatively, you can hack the system, navigating through political manipulation. This involves currying favor, flattery, and altering your beliefs to appease the elite - a fiat method that has sadly become quite popular.

Unfortunately, this second method destroys your soul. You end up debasing your original beliefs, becoming a chameleon that changes color according to the situation. Any genuine belief you retain becomes so diluted and non-controversial that it holds no power to effect any meaningful change, even if you acquire a position of influence. This phenomenon explains why many politicians, products of the fiat system, are so ineffective in bringing about substantial changes.

To truly effect change, one must resist the temptation to play this approval-seeking game. The moment we achieve greatness, the game shifts, and the approval from the elites can trap us, forcing us to conform to their values. This conformity distracts us from our original path to success.

In essence, seeking status offers instant gratification and superficial prestige, but it also debases your being and hinders your power to do good. Hence, the best approach is staying true to your convictions and focusing on meritorious actions, rather than succumbing to the allure of fiat approval.

Everyone wants rules.

This is why so many people blindly followed what the authorities said, even if it didn't make any sense. There's comfort in having rules. Comfort in thinking you are being told the truth.

Trust was what was abused and until people recognize their own exploitation, they won't wake up to the lies they've been told.

COVID has made me much less hopeful for the roughly half of the population that just gave in. These are all rule-followers that want order, even at the cost of reality distortion.

On the other hand, for the other half of the population that didn't give in, there is a lot of hope. These are people that I think are destined to adopt Bitcoin.

On Bitcoin Adoption

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There's a significant divide in the Bitcoin community at present, revolving around the adoption narrative. How does Bitcoin achieve widespread adoption? What conditions must be met for it to be globally recognized as a reserve currency?

Two key narratives dominate the discourse. The first stems from venture capitalists (VCs), altcoin enthusiasts, and "Bitcoin moderates." Their argument posits that Bitcoin's path to mainstream adoption requires substantial marketing efforts. Although they differ in the extent to which this marketing involves altcoins, DeFi, NFTs, or ordinals, they fundamentally agree that Bitcoin requires promotion, and don't really care exactly what form this takes. According to this group, sufficient promotion will enable the average person to "understand" Bitcoin, paving the way for a sky high price (and maybe alt season!)

However, this narrative is flawed as it fails to cultivate genuine Bitcoin holders. Instead, it promotes a culture of reckless gambling. At best, people dabble, make losses, and hopefully learn a valuable lesson about speculative games. At worst, people become entrenched in gambling habits, fostering a community rife with rent-seekers and scammers. Unfortunately, the majority entering the 'crypto' space find themselves with thinner wallets, often swearing off the entire sector after being scammed or losing significant funds.

This first narrative gains traction primarily because it enhances the perceived importance of its proponents. If adoption depended on active promotion, then VCs, marketers, and "Bitcoin moderates" become the linchpins for Bitcoin's advancement. It's an appealing narrative as it confers them a sense of significance they don't possess. Indeed, the egos on some of these people show just how self-serving their narratives are.

By contrast, the second narrative stipulates that adoption necessitates an understanding of Bitcoin as sound money. Bitcoin adoption is thus seen as a journey demanding patience, persistence, and a deep understanding of its technology and economics. This path typically spans several years and cannot be comprehended through a brief podcast snippet. Long-term Bitcoin holders and staunch supporters often attest to the validity of this narrative.

Interestingly, even those initially involved with altcoins or scammy altcoins find that these ventures did little to aid their understanding of Bitcoin as money. Quite the opposite, these distractions often muddied the waters and made understanding Bitcoin that much harder.

For long-term Bitcoin holders, the path to understanding Bitcoin necessitated considerable intellectual effort, rigorous study, and even financial discomfort. A clear understanding of Bitcoin's status as sound money was born out of hard work, not marketing gimmicks.

In this second narrative, exposure to Bitcoin usually stems from financial hardship. Whether due to inflation, banking issues, or government actions, people turn to Bitcoin out of ideological belief or necessity. Consequently, Bitcoin adoption is less about a marketing blitz and more about disillusionment with the current system. As long as the existing financial infrastructure continues to fail people, we can anticipate Bitcoin's continued growth.

This perspective negates the need for 'professional' Bitcoin marketers or high-profile endorsements. The critical factor isn't the backing of Elon Musk or Snoop Dogg. Instead, it's about individuals recognizing the corrosive impact of inflation on their savings and seeking an alternative. Ordinals don't get people to hold Bitcoin long-term, a real understanding of money does.

Bitcoin adoption isn't a mere marketing exercise; it's a journey of understanding, borne out of necessity and disillusionment with the existing system.

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Status games are unfortunately very profitable.

Affirmative action can only exist in a fiat system. Merit is characteristic of free markets because that's what wins.

That said, this one ruling isn't going to change things very much. Every college is going to dig in their heels and use whatever loophole they can to do what they want to do anyway. They'll continue their fiat rot and we'll only see real reform when the pipeline of money from Cantillon Effects dries up.

Thankfully, that day is coming. The real destroyer of such stupidity is and always will be #Bitcoin.

Crossfit is kicking my ass.

We need to conquer nature. Environmentalists' reverence for nature often implies that it should remain untouched, creating a worldview akin to worshiping nature.

However, nature, when perceived as a deity, is an indifferent and harsh one. It manifests as destructive forces such as natural disasters that take countless lives and destroys civilizations. The solution isn't to allow these catastrophic events to continue unchecked out of respect or fear.

Rather, the goal should be to harness nature's power and bring it under human control. This doesn't mean exploiting the environment for some high time preference gain, but using it for long-term benefit. It refers to understanding natural phenomena, predicting potential hazards, and implementing preventive measures to safeguard lives and property.

Respect for nature is not submission. Instead, we should strike a balance between admiration for its grandeur and the need for our own sovereignty. This involves actively managing and interacting with the environment to minimize the adverse impacts of its inherent unpredictability. In doing so, we are not merely worshiping nature; we are co-existing with it.

Good people make good choices. The popular misconception is that individuals who make bad decisions can still harbor inherently good hearts, claiming that they merely stumble upon ill-advised decisions. But this perspective offers an unfounded absolution and bypasses even the idea of personal responsibility. The "good heart" sentiment is fiat at its core.

The essence of a person's morals is manifested in the choices they make, not cloaked behind their intentions or innate goodness. Simply put, actions speak louder than words. If an individual continually makes bad decisions, it shows something about their fundamental moral fiber. Are they genuinely good at their core, or are they merely projecting an illusion? Intent does not a moral character make.

The same principle applies to self-evaluation. It's a comforting thought to believe that we are fundamentally good people, regardless of the actions we take. But self-perception alone does not dictate our moral standing. Until our actions align with our perceived goodness, the claim of being 'good' is just spin.

In essence, goodness is an ongoing commitment, a discipline, a virtue. It's a path paved with good decisions. Intent is merely the wish to pave the road. As such, we should always strive to let our choices reflect the goodness we we want to have. A tangible manifestation of our inner values is the only way we can rightfully claim to be good.

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Narcissism, a pandemic of self-absorption, is sweeping across the globe. It fuels an inflated belief in personal importance, a scenario where individuals are convinced that their desires hold the utmost significance. This perspective mirrors the simplistic, self-centered worldview typically exhibited by children, revealing a lack of understanding about the complex dynamics of life.

When faced with adversity, these narcissistic individuals often find themselves lost and confused. Accustomed to viewing life as a personalized theater, they struggle to comprehend why they should experience any hardship. To them, pain and suffering seem like an anomaly rather than an intrinsic part of life's narrative. It is for that reason that prolonged suffering is something they struggle deeply to get out of.

If it looks like a scam, sounds like a scam and tastes like a scam, it's probably a scam.

And no, I'm not talking about altcoins.

On Trust

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Trust, a seemingly simple concept, is a remarkable cornerstone of societal interactions. Rahim Taghizadegan, an economist, refers to trust as a 'capital good.' This perspective underscores its valuable role in our societies and economies. Indeed, trust has the power to grease the wheels of human transactions, making them more efficient and cost-effective.

When trust is established between individuals or communities, it significantly reduces the cost of production. This is because trust mitigates the need for expensive processes like verification and the need for physical deterrents like walls or security systems. Unfortunately, poorer regions often lack trust, resulting in high expenditures on security. This, in turn, causes goods and services to be more expensive. Scammers spoil things for everybody.

However, trust is a double-edged sword. An abundance of trust can lead to exploitation by the trusted party. Over time, such misuse of trust can trigger the downfall of the entire system built upon it.

In this context, the solution is a verification system that is affordable and effective. Bitcoin, with its decentralized and transparent structure, stands as a testament to this concept. Running a node means that you can verify and cheap verification obviates the need for trust. Bitcoin represents the best system, where we get the benefits of trust, but without the obvious possibility for abuse.

Interest Rates Show Up In Unexpected Places

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The era of low-interest rates has nurtured a certain illusion: that reality can be indefinitely suspended, and unprofitable ventures can be easily subsidized. Yet, as the world gradually wakes up to tighter interest rates, this mirage is beginning to fade.

For instance, consider our urban landscapes. Many cities, long buoyed by financial aids, are witnessing a chilling flashback to the bleakness of the 70s and 80s. These once-thriving metropolises are facing a decline that mirrors those troubled decades.

This abrupt change has come as a shock to them. After years of receiving subsidization, these cities are now grappling with the adverse effects of its withdrawal. As economic realities set in, they are forced to confront the hardships of budget constraints and the struggle of maintaining their standard of living. The inevitable tide of tighter monetary policies has begun to roll in, revealing the harsh reality that has been looming beneath the surface.

It's going to get worse before it gets better.

I try to go with 75/25 or fattier, but you can always compensate with more egg yolks. You can taste when it's the right ratio.

I like eating raw ground beef and putting down 2 pounds of that in a single sitting isn't that hard. I also add egg yolks to make it fattier. I'm sure that's more than 150g of protein. More importantly, it keeps me feeling full for the whole day and it's really not much prep.

I want to buy a business and incorporate Bitcoin into it. Here are some requirements:

1. It has to be profitable. That is cash-flow positive.

2. It has to be relatively simple. No crazy specialized knowledge required.

3. It has to have been running for a long time.

4. It has to be something that's reasonable for me to buy near Austin, TX.

The goal would be to see if I can incorporate Bitcoin into it and see how well I can run the business.

Any suggestions?