Why Bitcoin Is Much Like Religion

in #bitcoin7 years ago


A person that I know dearly believes that magnets on the fridge cause cancer. She is convinced that in some mysterious way she can't explain, the magnet affects the food inside the fridge. She came to this conclusion after reading a relevant article in an online blog. Ironically, this very individual chooses to consume smoked meats (like turkey) neglecting the line of research that indicates that they cause cancer.

Some things simply look magical to some people. When this occurs, they insert their own superstition to fill in the gap of their ignorance. Magnetism is one property that mystifies many people since it requires some basic scientific knowledge. Yet, the property of meat, even if it is smoked, looks harmless because one can touch and feel and the meat. They can sense and understand smoke. There is nothing mystifying about it and so it appears harmless.

Much of superstition in the crypto-markets is a result of ignorance and similar level of superstition. When we have no idea how something works we insert theories about why bitcoin tanks or who controls it. We need a narrative. Part of the reason Bitcoin has gained so much momentum is because it is so similar to religion. The inventor is unknown, yet perceived so powerful since it came to provide us with a solution that will salvage us from the clutches of the old Fiat World. Very few understand the blockchain yet most are willing to throw their life savings in to it so they can be financially liberated. This is literally how almost any religious myth goes about.


Religion is a property that belongs to the human psyche. They go hand in hand. Even atheists like myself cannot escape from it. No matter how much information we come to digest, we always have ignorance about our world. That gap needs to be filled somehow and so we create stories, myths and narratives to cope with the black hole. This is also why stories are so attractive. This is why individuals that know how to tell a good story capture people's attention and make their arguments more convincing. This is after all how all religions came to be. From good story tellers that also attached a moral lesson at the end of the story.

The human mind is a very simple and gullible machine. The technological revolution of the block-chain provided a new hope for the assumed oppression of the current system. The good vs bad narrative can fit in the Bitcoin vs Fiat world as much as in Jesus vs Satan or Jedi vs Sith. In between the gaps, we take sides since we are also ruled by tribalism. We tell our selves small lies until they are enough to create meaning and purpose.

Bitcoin might go away but the religious technological narrative won't. We will likely see more and more of these tech-religions popping up as innovations around us unravel. Artificial Intelligence and decentralization will likely create a planetary religion much like Bitcoin where the novel tech will be perceived as the lord and savior of humanity. After all, as humans go, everything changes yet everything remains the same.













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For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Math 6:21. There are those who worship crypto currencies and it consumes them. They believe that these cryptos will solve everything...hunger...war...hate... financial debt....you name it... it has become their main focus...their god. I think they are in dreamland. Thanks @kyriacos

I think they are in dreamland

Aren't we all?

They believe that these cryptos will solve everything...hunger...war...hate... financial debt....you name it... it has become their main focus...their god.

It seems nothing will, our many gods have solved not one of pur problems. Cryptocurrencies may have well solved a few problems if it was not for the problem of repeating the same mistake over and over again.

New technology but same mentality.

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With the Internet, it is easy to create all kinds of religions: omega 3, gluten free, save the plantet, blockchain, etc. The human naturally seeks Truth and will listen to the one who promises it.

Dependence on AI could become the next religion. A person could claim that with powerful analytics and by eing uniased, AI could be the best guide in morality and ethics and start an AI cult where an-made AI becomes the Lord and Savior and the judge of of judges.

It's really scary and really plausible.

it's like Psycho-Pass where the AI sybal(I don't how to spell it) decided everthing about a person's life .
I have to say it your profile picture really fits by your comment . Indeed a scary plausibility

Exactly!
The scary aspects is in the implementation. I know people who ruined their education because of computers, internet and smartphones. Me on the other hand improved myself through technology. Some people are trying to make a master-god instead of servant-god. Harmony is also a great example of this:

It's basically a medical utopia created by WHO which is so bad you'd think Mad Max to be a better world to live in. It was written by Project Itoh while in a hospital dying from cancer and the story itself is pretty much about a world that has become a tyrannical hospital which one cannot escape from.

It's spelled Sibyl: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibyl and I picked my profile picture after some real thought and meaning. Also Nirvana is used synonymously with moksha (Sanskrit), also vimoksha, or vimutti (Pali), "release, deliverance from suffering". (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nirvana_(Buddhism)#Moksha,_Mukti) vimukthi is an alternative spelling for vimutti.

It's basically a medical utopia created by WHO which is so bad you'd think Mad Max to be a better world to live in.
That bad ? they have beaten death and aging what's all the fuss about .
Life with no disease and death is amazing right? It's heaven. Well, for most peole that is. Being watched and trapped by system made Miach, a friend of Tuan Kirie(our protagnist), felt that she lost her identity and freedom. Finally, Miach along with Kirie and one of her friend decided to commit suicide. Tuan was saved, but Miach was reported dead.
They were basically immortal ,they had all the time in the world to bring down the system. They could wait for centuries for the right moment to strike ,mean while develop some usefull skill and also try to hold on your individuality(sound to easy I know) make some kind of beacon to hold on to.

I have watched Mad max fury ,I don't know what to think about .The action was really good,but the ratio action and storyline was quite out balance ,but nonetheless I liked it ,3 stars of 5

That's a well thought username ,it's fitting .Speaking of buddhism related matter
which colour of the lotus followers appeals to you .I remember once that you told me that your middle name lotus .So I researched the meaning lotus and stumbled on this

The color bears importance in the meaning of the lotus flower in Buddhism. A white lotus flower refers to purity of the mind and the spirit. If a lotus flower is red, it refers to compassion and love. The blue lotus flower refers to the common sense; it uses wisdom and logic to create enlightenment. The pink lotus flower represents the history of Buddha and the historical legends of the Buddha. A purple lotus flower speaks of spiritual awakening and mysticism. Finally, the gold lotus flower represents all achievement of all enlightenment, especially in the Buddha
So I out of curiousity I ask which colour of the lotus would you pick really clicks with you,I have a idea.

My username was inspired by a book character and my profile picture is a depection of the character