I took last week off for the Yom Kippur holiday and am back at you (albeit one day late) this week. Proud to report that I’m writing from the good ol’ US of A. I hope you missed me ;-).
Two weeks ago, I shared my Reflections from a Bike in Amsterdam. I enjoyed writing that post, as I continue to use this letter as a forum to experiment with new ideas and writing styles. You might even say that I was proud of that writing.
“If a proud man makes me keep my distance, the comfort is that he keeps his at the same time” – Jonathan Swift
So naturally, I was surprised when someone whom I deeply respect and consider a mentor reached out to share his belief that there was “a hole in my thinking.”
He started with a few links and images that showed how my writing mistakenly blamed capitalism for what I saw in Amsterdam and explained that the rich getting richer actually leads to the poor getting richer too.
He went on to describe my writing using words like “victimology” and “woke virtue signaling” – these words admittedly triggered me.
However, I respect this person, and I actively chose to welcome different views, so I was able to subsume my ego for a moment. We engaged in a dialogue on Marxism, Libertarianism, free markets, and wealth concentration. I expect and hope that this conversation will be ongoing.
I’m not describing our encounter to explain a sudden change of opinion on the matter - in fact, I’m still exploring the effects of capitalism (both positive and negative). However, our back and forth helped me to see one of the most important reasons to continue writing publicly.
I put my thoughts out and in return receive a plurality of feedback and opinions.
I actively chose to engage with dissenting views; my inbox is open to even the most hostile critic.
I believe that not only will this improve my writing, but more importantly - it will sharpen my critical thinking.
Homogeneity of ideas is a danger to us all.
As Shane Parish points out in the Spiral of Silence (link below), homogeneity leads to a number of disturbing consequences. For example, “highly vocal holders of a minority opinion can end up having a disproportionate influence on public discourse.”
The current state of affairs in the US is a prime example: both the far-left and the far-right crowd out the centrist majority with aggressive tactics to silence anyone who disagrees.
As Emily Yoffe shares in A Taxonomy of Fear, “institutions that are supposed to be guardians of free expression—academia and journalism in particular—are becoming enforcers of conformity.”
If this election is actually an existential threat to our democracy, it is not because of the person who will sit in the White House come January 2021. Whether Trump or Biden wins, this election cycle has taken us further from the acceptance of dissenting opinions than I remember in my lifetime.
It feels like we move closer to a sort of neo-McCarthyism on both sides of the political aisle – cancel culture on the left and “anti-elite” on the right - with each passing day.
What power do we as individuals have to stop this madness?
Every time we walk away from an argument on the merits of ideas with a relationship still intact (regardless whether we agree in the end), it’s a win for democracy, critical thinking, and peace.
This Week’s Podcast:
Bitcoin and Crypto Origin Stories with Dan Hannum, COO @ ZenLedger
“Why hold Bitcoin? I think the simple answer is the financial upside.”
Although I’ve spent most of the last three years working in the cryptocurrency industry, I haven’t shared much about it on Look Up! because I assume the listener base is not as interested in the subject. In nearly 50 episodes, only two have been about crypto.
Two weeks back, I invited my friend, Dan Hannum, COO of Zenledger and partner at Hannum Capital Management to share more about Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. We discuss our “crypto origin stories,” the ICO madness of 2017, and what you need to know if you’re interested in entering the industry.
Even when discussing esoteric subjects like crypto, I want to keep Look Up! focused on what connects us all - our shared humanity. As such, Dan and I also discuss the last few years he’s spent completely sober, life in Los Angeles, and shared our experience in life each having supportive, strong older sisters.
What I’m Reading
Ideas
Chemical Toxicity and the Baby Bust, Jeremy Grantham
A Taxonomy of Fear, Emily Yoffe
The Spiral of Silence, Farnam Street
Startups
Markets
Hong Kong Is China, Like it Or Not - NY Times CCP Shill piece
Crypto
Uncommon Core Podcast: Gas Wars, Understanding Ethereum’s Mem Pool and Miner Extractable Value
A Roll-Up Centric Ethereum Roadmap
Framework Labs Launches Endaoment
Fat DeFi Protocols, Santiago Santos @ ParaFi
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