Author: Damian Date: To: System undo crew Subject: Re: [unSYSTEM] Bitcoin, Startups,
and Suicide: Being an Entrepreneur is Fucking Hard
Haha thanks been a while
On Fri, Aug 29, 2014 at 7:55 PM, Josh Walker <josh@???> wrote:
> The quote is that hate leads to suffering, btw.
>
>
> On Fri, Aug 29, 2014 at 4:13 PM, Damian <i3inary@???> wrote:
>
>> When you use your consciousness to solve big problems you are forced to
>> look at big problems. Humans get depressed and usually fearful/pessimistic
>> when they can't solve the problems in their lives.
>>
>> Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to the dark
>> side...oh wait, what a paradox considering the unSYSTEM project name
>> tendencies.
>>
>> Big problems just take lots of time and energy to solve usually...finding
>> others working on the same problems as you is a huge support system.
>>
>> The most brilliant minds all seem to go through this when they are
>> focusing on big problems:
>> [Dangerous Knowledge 5 part series] -
>> http://watchdocumentary.org/watch/dangerous-knowledge-video_417b79d43.html >>
>> I Love all your spirits and energy output. Thanks for being!
>>
>> Life isn't that serious and no one makes it out alive. Stay calm and
>> have fun.
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Aug 29, 2014 at 1:50 PM, Jason King <
>> beinghomelessisnotacrime@???> wrote:
>>
>>> No problem. Needed to be said.
>>> On Aug 29, 2014 4:45 PM, "Christopher Franko" <chrisjfranko@???>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Reallly great read. Thanks man, I needed to see this.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On 29 August 2014 15:10, Julia Tourianski <juliatourianski@???>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> It pained me to read this. I just had a similar conversation with
>>>>> Blake Anderson about all these issues just yesterday. But like with that
>>>>> conversation, and reading this, it ended with incredible positivity.
>>>>>
>>>>> Charlie: I'm glad Amir and I visiting you made you happy for at least
>>>>> that day. I really appreciate you saying that. You've gone through some
>>>>> hard shit and those moment are vital to have.
>>>>>
>>>>> I think the key things we need to recall is family and friends. I'm
>>>>> blessed with an amazing family, who supported me through my hard times
>>>>> about 8 months ago. Not everyone has that, but you CAN choose your friends,
>>>>> and this community is full of incredible people.
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm not one to bond with people quickly. Friendship to me has always
>>>>> been difficult for me because I don't take it lightly. In the past few
>>>>> months (for I am but a small child in this movement) I've met the smartest,
>>>>> most inspirational people ever. Not only met, but became very good friends
>>>>> with.
>>>>>
>>>>> So I'll end by saying this: YOU ALL ARE TOO SMART TO KILL YOURSELF. Do
>>>>> the world a favor and stay alive please.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> For the secrets and lies, my PGP key:
>>>>> https://libbitcoin.dyne.org/julia_tourianski.pgp.asc >>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Thu, Aug 28, 2014 at 2:18 PM, Charlie 'Charles' Shrem <
>>>>> cshrem@???> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> I've been battling depression the past few months, hardcore. When
>>>>>> they put me in solitary I thought my life was over.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I have all of you my friends to thank for keeping my spirits up and
>>>>>> Bitcoin for giving me a propose. I think back on the good times, eating
>>>>>> with Amir and Julia on my porch and partying with Jason in Atlanta.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Let the good times roll :)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Thursday, August 28, 2014, Amir Taaki <genjix@???> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I wanted to kill myself over Bitcoinica. It was a very bad moment...
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On 28/08/14 14:11, Jason King wrote:
>>>>>>> > For over a week now, I’ve been trying to write a year in review
>>>>>>> piece
>>>>>>> > for Satoshi Forest. The words, which usually just flow like a
>>>>>>> spigot
>>>>>>> > when I’m passionate about something, seem to just dribble out. And
>>>>>>> what
>>>>>>> > little eeks by is hardly print worthy. Maybe it’s just writer’s
>>>>>>> block?
>>>>>>> > Writer’s block happens. Or maybe I’m not as passionate about
>>>>>>> Satoshi
>>>>>>> > Forest as I used to be?
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > But, I am passionate about Satoshi Forest, perhaps more than I
>>>>>>> ever have
>>>>>>> > been. And writer’s block, if it is the culprit, cannot explain why
>>>>>>> I
>>>>>>> > haven’t responded to Elizabeth Ploshay’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge,
>>>>>>> in a
>>>>>>> > timely fashion. I guess I’ll have to donate now. You see it’s not
>>>>>>> just
>>>>>>> > the Satoshi Forest year in review, it’s everything. Emails from
>>>>>>> friends
>>>>>>> > I haven’t responded to, phone calls I let go to voicemail, new
>>>>>>> endeavors
>>>>>>> > at Sean’s Outpost I let sit unannounced
>>>>>>> > (http://blockchain.satoshiforest.com/). And then it hits me. I’ve
>>>>>>> been
>>>>>>> > here before.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > I’m really depressed.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > And it seems to be going around.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > Since the tragic suicide of Robin Williams, four (4) people close
>>>>>>> to me
>>>>>>> > have also tried to kill themselves. One succeeded. An anecdotal
>>>>>>> survey
>>>>>>> > of my friends has seen an equal uptick in the number of people
>>>>>>> talking
>>>>>>> > about or attempting suicide. It’s been really disturbing.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > In the preparations for the Bitcoin in the Beltway conference this
>>>>>>> past
>>>>>>> > June, I had one of the more surreal conversations of my life. An
>>>>>>> east
>>>>>>> > coast sales director for Marriott called me wanting to know if
>>>>>>> bitcoin
>>>>>>> > was linked to suicide. They had heard of the tragic death of Autumn
>>>>>>> > Radtke in March
>>>>>>> > (
>>>>>>> http://nypost.com/2014/03/06/bitcoin-firm-ceo-jumped-to-her-death-neighbor/ >>>>>>> )
>>>>>>> > and were concerned about hosting a conference for a technology
>>>>>>> that was
>>>>>>> > making people kill themselves. I was sure he was joking. He was
>>>>>>> not. The
>>>>>>> > conversation I had with him must have allayed his fears.
>>>>>>> #BitcoinBeltway
>>>>>>> > went great, can’t wait to do it again next year.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > Obviously, bitcoin does not cause suicide. And while we are quick
>>>>>>> to
>>>>>>> > sticky a “suicide prevention hotline” when the price crashes,
>>>>>>> bitcoin is
>>>>>>> > not causing depression. What we may want to look into is something
>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>> > is not bitcoin related, but more something that comes part and
>>>>>>> parcel
>>>>>>> > with “bitcoiners”.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > The woes of entrepreneurship and startup culture.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > Being an entrepreneur is fucking hard. Really hard. Most people
>>>>>>> don’t
>>>>>>> > even attempt it.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > It might not feel that way to you, but likely that’s because you
>>>>>>> > surround yourself with other entrepreneurs. Your friends work at
>>>>>>> > startups. Your trips are to startup conferences and conventions.
>>>>>>> Your
>>>>>>> > news feed is r/bitcoin and hacker news. You are firmly in the echo
>>>>>>> chamber.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > Most people will never try and build a product or company. So most
>>>>>>> > people will never experience what it is like to fear you won’t make
>>>>>>> > payroll and someone else will not be able to pay their rent
>>>>>>> because of you.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > Most people will never know how difficult it is to raise money. To
>>>>>>> get
>>>>>>> > someone else to believe in you enough to open their checkbook and
>>>>>>> > support you financially. The hours you spend and the mental strain
>>>>>>> that
>>>>>>> > comes from hearing “No” again and again and again. And if you get a
>>>>>>> > “Yes” the pressure doesn’t dissipate! It increases! Now it’s your
>>>>>>> crazy
>>>>>>> > idea and someone elses money you’re responsible for.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > Being an entrepreneur is really hard.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > And we are really hard on ourselves. We are afraid to show any
>>>>>>> weakness.
>>>>>>> > Because we’ve been taught being weak or vulnerable is to be
>>>>>>> shunned. If
>>>>>>> > someone asks you how your company is doing “We’re killing. it.”
>>>>>>> probably
>>>>>>> > comes off your lips before you’ve even processed the question.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > It is statistically impossible for everyone to always be “killing
>>>>>>> it”.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > But ask at your next mixer or meetup and almost everyone will be
>>>>>>> > “killing it”.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > And that pressure to succeed, to perform, to win is immense. And I
>>>>>>> think
>>>>>>> > that pressure may be even worse in bitcoin.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > Not to everyone, but to a lot of bitcoin early adopters, and
>>>>>>> especially
>>>>>>> > to a lot of early bitcoin entrepreneurs, bitcoin is a promise. A
>>>>>>> glimpse
>>>>>>> > of a better world free from the inequalities brought by our legacy
>>>>>>> > financial system. So if you fail in bitcoin, it is easy to feel
>>>>>>> that you
>>>>>>> > are failing on that promise too.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > I’ve felt that way. Felt that if I screw up I am screwing it up for
>>>>>>> > every non-profit and charity. That they will somehow not get the
>>>>>>> > benefits of bitcoin because I failed. I see it in others. Just a
>>>>>>> week
>>>>>>> > ago at #Cryptolina I talked with a group of brilliant
>>>>>>> entrepreneurs who
>>>>>>> > were convinced that if they didn’t beat an incumbent payment
>>>>>>> solution to
>>>>>>> > market, they had lost the war. And that whole segment of the market
>>>>>>> > would NEVER benefit from cryptocurrency.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > Being a bitcoin entrepreneur is hard.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > And I don’t have the answers to how to deal with all the pressure
>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>> > depression that come from doing what we do. But I have learned a
>>>>>>> couple
>>>>>>> > of things and maybe someone else that is experiencing depression or
>>>>>>> > having dark thoughts can read this and gain some value from what
>>>>>>> I’ve
>>>>>>> > learned. And even better, maybe someone that has dealt with
>>>>>>> depression
>>>>>>> > in the past can riff on what I’ve said and provide some insight
>>>>>>> into how
>>>>>>> > they cope.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > 1) You are not alone.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > When you are depressed, it seems like everyone else has it all
>>>>>>> together
>>>>>>> > and you are the anomaly. That’s not true. They probably don’t have
>>>>>>> their
>>>>>>> > shit together either. And everyone has problems we don’t see.
>>>>>>> Everyone.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > Some of the greatest entrepreneurs and investors of all time have
>>>>>>> had
>>>>>>> > brutal fights with depression and suicidal thoughts.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > READ:
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> http://www.inc.com/magazine/201309/jessica-bruder/psychological-price-of-entrepreneurship.html >>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > 2) Bitcoin needs you and it doesn’t need you. And that’s ok.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > Bitcoin needs you. It really does. But it doesn’t need only you, it
>>>>>>> > needs all of us. You are not the single point of failure. Bitcoins
>>>>>>> > success is just a decentralized as the blockchain. So give
>>>>>>> yourself a
>>>>>>> > break. It’s ok to make mistakes and it’s ok to fail. It’s even ok
>>>>>>> to
>>>>>>> > fail spectacularly.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > Think back to how many times bitcoin has been declared dead. How
>>>>>>> many
>>>>>>> > times has the price crashed? How many times has a major bitcoin
>>>>>>> > institution been corrupted/hacked/found to be a scam?
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > And yet, here we are. An you are here too.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > 3) It is ok to ask for help.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > This is hard to learn. We come from a self sufficient culture. And
>>>>>>> if
>>>>>>> > you ask for help, people will realize that you are not as awesome
>>>>>>> as
>>>>>>> > they thought you were...BULLSHIT. Asking for help has ZERO bearing
>>>>>>> on
>>>>>>> > how awesome a person you are. In fact, your friends WANT TO HELP
>>>>>>> YOU.
>>>>>>> > Being there for you in a moment of crisis is something your
>>>>>>> friends are
>>>>>>> > probably really down for. But if you ignore them or won’t tell
>>>>>>> them you
>>>>>>> > are having problems it is really difficult for them to help. Talk
>>>>>>> to
>>>>>>> > someone. If all else fails you can always call…
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > THE NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > I know all of this might not make a difference. When you are
>>>>>>> caught up
>>>>>>> > in your head in the middle of a depressive episode nothing seems to
>>>>>>> > help. Try to find something that you can concentrate on just to
>>>>>>> get you
>>>>>>> > thru the worst of it. For me, I go play with my kids. It helps me.
>>>>>>> > Sometimes more than others.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > If you are feeling down, try to talk to someone. And if you see
>>>>>>> someone
>>>>>>> > feeling down, try to lend a supportive ear.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > Bitcoin needs you alive.
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> >
>>>>>>> > _______________________________________________
>>>>>>> > unSYSTEM mailing list: http://unsystem.net >>>>>>> > https://mailinglists.dyne.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/unsystem >>>>>>> >
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Thanks,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Charlie
>>>>>>
>>>>>> CharlieShrem.com | *Please **encrypt messages with my PGP key
>>>>>> <http://charlieshrem.com/contact/>*
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>>>
>>>>>
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>>>>>
>>>>
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Re: [unSYSTEM] Bitcoin, Startups,
…
