sly goomba on Nostr: What is Society? The fiat world will have you believe that we’re all in this ...

What is Society?

The fiat world will have you believe that we’re all in this together, that the trials we go through are better faced collectively rather than individually. The problem with this is that there is no collective—there are only individuals. At a deeper level, the Bitcoiner understands this. The fiat believer doesn’t. The fiat believer looks to those around them, seeking validation and guidance from others to decide the best course of action. The Bitcoiner, on the other hand, looks inward to determine what’s best for them.

For some reason, the fiat world has painted being “selfish” as a negative trait. But if you stop and think about it, it’s easy to see that the best thing for a society is for all the people to look out for themselves first. What is society other than a group of individuals? Even if you pretend the fiat mindset is correct, look at yourself. You’re still only doing what’s best for the group because one individual told you that’s what’s best. You’re a slave to that mindset. The person telling you what to think is actually looking out for themselves, which in turn reinforces the point: looking out for yourself is the best course of action.

It’s not selfish—it’s the most selfless thing you can do. It may seem contradictory, but the only way to help others is to live the best life you know how. If you sacrifice a part of yourself to help someone else, and they do the same for you, and the next person sacrifices to help their neighbor, all you’re doing is perpetuating sacrifice. How is that a good thing? Sacrifice, by its very nature, means you’re giving something up. If everyone is sacrificing, then no one truly benefits. How much of your life should you sacrifice to improve someone else’s life? It doesn’t work—it only makes everyone’s life worse.

I believe a much better way to live is to live for yourself. A friend just messaged me with the phrase, "Love your neighbor as yourself." This is straight from the word of God. Okay, let’s analyze this. If you love your neighbor more than yourself, it means you’re loving yourself less. If you love your neighbor as yourself, you’re loving yourself less. Do you see where I’m going with this? God wants you to love yourself first. The best way to love others is to love yourself. And the best way to do that is to put yourself first.

We are not “all in this together.” We’re in it for ourselves. Life is a very individual experience. No one will know what you go through. There are people you can talk to, people who relate to similar situations, and that can be helpful. But if you’re not living your life for yourself, how can you relate to anyone else? What I’m trying to express here is that being selfish is a moral good. The society you belong to wants you to take care of yourself for the society to thrive. This is something Bitcoin helps exemplify.

When Bitcoiners create something of value—something beautiful, something unique—everyone benefits. I have a Bitcoin friend who decided to become a stone sculptor. I don’t think he would have pursued that path if it weren’t for Bitcoin. But now, with the time Bitcoin has given him, he can stop, create, and share with the world. His work not only inspires through the beauty of the creation, but it also motivates others to follow their dreams. The same can be said about someone who creates absolutely breathtaking pencil artwork—all inspired by what they see Bitcoin can do for the world.

These two artists didn’t start creating because they were “all in this together.” No. They did it for their own selfish reasons. They knew what they had within them was worth sharing with the world, or perhaps they just needed to get it out of themselves. It’s a side effect that these artists inspire others. You need to be a Bitcoiner to understand this. You can’t be stuck in a fiat mindset, thinking that only a select few get to live life on their terms. Happiness, fulfillment, and meaning in life aren’t restricted to those who can create. Everyone can create. Everyone has something in them that differentiates them from others. Everyone has a reason to live.

You have a reason to live. And that reason is to be yourself—whatever that means to you. To create, to build, to share, to be unique.