A group of 700 Bitcoiners gathered in Miami on the final evening of Bitcoin 2022 for a special “spiritual” gathering and to hear Dr. Jordan Peterson, internationally renowned psychologist and author of the bestselling “12 Rules for Life” talk about bitcoin and spirituality.
Peterson is a Bitcoin community favorite and was “one of the most anticipated speakers at Bitcoin 2022,” according to a review.
“Much of the bitcoin community already has an ideological intersection with Peterson,” another noted.
John Vallis, present and welcoming the guests (like one of the old priests) told the gathering, “I’ve been a big fan of Jordan Peterson for a long time.”
“He was instrumental in helping me understand the deeper elements of bitcoin, its value and meaning, and how it all ties together,” he added.
Robert Breedlove, a well-known bitcoiner and podcaster, spoke about Peterson’s effect on him, especially his first book “Maps of Meaning”, saying he was “very impactful on my thinking”.
“Your work has been transformative in adding value to the lives of millions of people,” he told Peterson.
Sometimes even a movement needs a psychologist
There couldn’t be a better time to see a psychologist. Price volatility can be stressful despite the fact that the big picture for Bitcoin is positive. Two countries – El Salvador and the Central African Republic have been integrated into Bitcoin and it looks like several more are on the way.
In his introduction, John Vallis spoke of the “madness” of the “world of clowns” today and how for many depression, anxiety and despair are part of modern fiat life.
The psychological health of Bitcoiners has been the subject of recent New York Post article that published a survey that “proved” that Bitcoiners are more likely to be “psychopaths”.
The average bitcoin investor is a “calculating psychopath with an inflated ego,” and bitcoin investors typically exhibit “dark” personality traits such as narcissism and sadism,” the article states.
Overall this New York Post coin probably improved people’s mental health as it was the cause of much fun and humor for Bitcoiners on Twitter who started identifying as psychopaths and dark tetrads.
Bitcoin is psychologically healthy
Peterson has been cautious in his support of bitcoin, but at this event he was clear on the issue of mental health and bitcoin saying that bitcoin was psychologically healthier than living on fiat. Calling it an “incorruptible store of value,” he credited bitcoin with its “transformative effect on people.”
Peterson called Bitcoin “a worthwhile experience” and said “it doesn’t seem to have any obvious psychological or logical flaws.”
One of the healthiest aspects of bitcoin, he noted, was the relative certainty of value in the future, while fiat is subject to inflation and therefore uncertainty, which is psychologically stressful.
Bitcoin is freedom of value and expression
The issue of freedom is a bottom line for Peterson – without freedom, especially freedom of expression, psychological well-being is not possible.
He talked about the importance of freedom and a free market as an important part of psychological well-being.
“One of the things that got me interested in bitcoin wasn’t state interference,” Peterson said.
A free currency in a free market is essential to human well-being
This young Bitcoin analyst demonstrates that he understands the importance of not being controlled by the government:
Peterson reiterated how essential the free choice of value in a market is for a foundation of psychological well-being on which a society can build.
Peterson pointed out that unlike fiat currencies, bitcoin does not distort value by changing the rules or causing inflation.
Building on his lecture, he reiterated his support for the views of Austrian economists, who believe that monetary integrity and moral integrity are inextricably linked.
The sectarian nature of this special gathering, which ended with a discussion of Christ, struck at least one observer as reminiscent of early Christian gatherings.
“There is a larger contingent of Christians within Bitcoin than I thought,” one reviewer noted.
“Beyond that, there is a general sense of underlying spirituality behind a movement that truly restores economic sovereignty to anyone who wants it, with effectively no barriers to entry,” he added.