Thread

I rarely lose my temper, but whenever I do a couple times per year, my writing gets 10x as much reach and likes and shares, and gets basically immortalized. But I'm rarely happy about it when it does. I still think about this a lot in terms of how I choose to use social media- with reach comes responsibility. It's both a bad thing and a good thing. On one hand, it's not great that posts based on a combination of emotion and reason get *way* better reach than ones based on more pure reason alone. For "clicks" the best thing I could do for a given post is lose my temper and go all-out on something. On the other hand, the rare cases where I lose my temper are based on serious built-up frustrations over months. I'm frustrated about something, keep holding it back, and then something becomes intolerable. My socially-compliant self-censorship all unravels at once, not perfectly, but with a clear aspect of *deep* honesty. And people see that honesty because it reflects their own. So it spreads. So, most of the time, I write carefully, and I know my audience comes from multiple different backgrounds, literally from Indonesian farmers to Wall Street institutional billionaires, and I try to politely move the Overton window from within the Overton window. But a couple times per year, I lose my temper and post my emotional thoughts, which in some ways are more honest, but are also not exactly my ideal self-actualized self. I end up being grateful for both my constant attempt at control and my rare tempers, because somewhere in the middle is my truth. That blend between controlled reason and built-up emotion is really hard to manage in an era of digital media and semi-immortalized content. Anyway, I'll post this random stuff on Nostr, not Twitter. You guys and girls get the real thoughts because you're here.

Replies (59)

you’re so calm and collected in interviews so imagine my surprise when i heard you did jiu-jitsu for years and even broke some bones! you are such a model of bitcoiners to the world: intelligent, sincere, cheerful, super productive (proof of work!) but can throw hands if you don’t check your ego haha.
🛡️
Lyn we appreciate the honesty. Thing is when you tap into an anger a lot of people also have, it hits harder for them. You have a better way with words than most. We all know its not your character and those moments won't define you. We are all human and to be honest with all your research and knowledge I'm surprised it doesn't happen more. There are a lot of messed up things going on in the world right now and probably why so many people have emotions they probably can't even describe why they do. Keep being you Lyn 💜
Perhaps #Nostr is that training ground where your truth, that middle ground, gets expressed directly. But I appreciate you no matter from which ground you express because your sincerity imbues all of them. For me, you are such a genuine person, and because I so appreciate contact with genuineness, that I listen to most of your podcasts even when I’m not interested in hearing more about macro. Contact with genuine energy is so nourishing and what’s also so lacking in the modern world. I believe small communities in less “developed” locations in the world continue to have such intimate exchange. And your centeredness is so grounding, Lyn. I feel the force within. And you’re so young!! How exciting!! 🤍🙏🤍
Negativity. Failure. Sells. Someone told me if the cure for cancer was found it wouldn't even be on the front page. But look at the failures, of treatments, patients, lawsuits, malpractice verses the millions saved by amazing doctors, nurses, and science. Thanks for being positive but I positively like you negative too.
Everything humans created has good and bad at it’s core, because the human being is a creature of duality. The ego gets angry when it doesn’t get it’s way, and happy when it does. Most people are reaction machines, but we can train ourselves to be non reactive, but pertinently responsive when the situation requires, albeit in a detached manner.
↩ replying to npub1wepd...2gva
There was a scene in some random cartoon DC movie from 2010 that stuck out to me for over a decade now, mainly because it involved Batman, and I really like Batman. It referenced Nietzsche, as all good kid movies should do. Batman was fighting some evil version of himself from an alternate universe, heard the alternate’s explanation for why he was evil, and said back to him: “There is a difference between us. We both looked into the abyss, but when it looked back, you blinked.” That always stuck with me. Oddly deeply. On one hand, it’s a really good statement for people who deal with darkness or frustration at times. You have to be able to look into the worst things, don’t fall prey to nihilism from doing so, and choose better. That’s your strength and your purpose. On the other hand, and perhaps more importantly, it explains why you simply don’t fuck with Batman.
When I read a piece of writing I want to be able to connect to it, and that means that the author has to be authentic and demonstrate a gambit of emotions. Anger, sadness, joy, grief, resentment, happiness. It doesn’t matter. I read to educate myself, to gain new perspectives, to reflect on my own experiences, and most importantly to feel human. I appreciate your honesty and authenticity 💜🫂 and don’t shy away from what makes us human.
🛡️
I can understand your dilemma. On the one hand, you want to use your platform to share your thoughts and ideas with as many people as possible. On the other hand, you don't want to do so at the expense of your own integrity or authenticity. I think it's important to remember that there is no right or wrong answer here. It's a matter of personal preference and what you feel most comfortable with. If you're not comfortable sharing your emotional thoughts on social media, then that's perfectly fine. You can still use your platform to share your ideas and insights in a more controlled and rational way. However, if you do feel the need to share your emotional thoughts from time to time, then I think that's perfectly valid as well. Just be aware of the potential consequences of doing so. Your posts may reach a wider audience, but they may also be more controversial. Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to share your emotional thoughts on social media is up to you. There is no right or wrong answer. Just do what feels right for you. I think it's also important to remember that social media is a powerful tool. It can be used to spread both positive and negative messages. If you choose to share your emotional thoughts on social media, I encourage you to do so in a way that is constructive and positive. Use Nostr to start a conversation, not to spread hate or division. I think we need more people on social media who are willing to share their true thoughts and feelings, even if they're not always pretty. We need more people who are willing to be vulnerable and authentic. So if you feel called to share your emotional thoughts on social media, then I say go for it. Just do it in a way that is thoughtful and respectful.
Don’t worry about clicks and responsibility. Keep writing as you were doing it for yourself. “With reach comes responsibility” is a thesis you’d have a bad time demonstrating without postulating some degree of ineptitude in your readers.
Part of it is that you are so measured in most of your communiques that when you go on a rant, people take notice. It’s the scarcity of these episodes that contributes to the value. If you were ranting all the time the impact would be less. Use this power sparingly and for the ideas you want to spread the most!