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“So someone’s good at taking down an opponent, but that doesn’t make them more community-minded, or modest, or well-prepared for any circumstance, or more tolerant of the faults of others.” - MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 7.52

There is a lot to learn with Bitcoin, from private keys to mining to money to macro.  Often diving into the rabbit hole leads us to learn about things we never thought about before and allows us to expand our minds and skill sets.

But the skills and knowledge we gain by studying Bitcoin do not necessarily make us better people.

Marcus Aurelius reminds us to strive towards self improvement by bettering the skills intrinsic to being a good person. In Bitcoin we can see this as putting in Proof of Work towards self betterment. 

As the Bitcoin community grows, and adoption spreads, all kinds of people will join, often very different from ourselves. We must strive to improve skills of communication, modesty, acceptance of different worldviews, etc. and through this work, become better people. 

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“People aren’t in awe of your sharp mind? So be it. But you have many other qualities you can’t claim to have been deprived of at birth. Display then those qualities in your own power: honesty, dignity, endurance, chastity, contentment, frugality, kindness, freedom, persistence, avoiding gossip, and magnanimity.” - MARCUS AURELIUS, MEDITATIONS, 5.5

We often hear the phrase “tick-tock next block”. It represents Bitcoin’s unrelenting march forward in face of any headwind. But Bitcoin also has limitations which have necessitated code changes and development of layered solutions. There are some things that can’t change in Bitcoin, but other qualities can always be iterated and improved upon. 

While it is important to embrace the aspects and traits that you are uniquely gifted with, often we need to put in the work to improve ourselves. So many aspects of being a good person are within our control, and we have the choice to grow ourselves with intention.