Ask HN: How did you stop your friends talking about Bitcoin?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=39633764

by chinathrow • 2 years ago

12 29 2 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

I never had any Bitcoin and will never buy any - yet a friend of mine can't stop talking about it.

How did you get over this?

Finnucane• 2 years ago

Have smarter friends.

fddrdplktrew2• 2 years ago

you should buy some... or Moneros would be even better

I started buying in 2017... a bit late

> I receive a fair amount of email from strangers. My email address is public, which doesn’t seem to be a popular choice these days, but I’ve received enough inspiring correspondence over the years to leave it be.

When I receive a GPG encrypted email from a stranger, though, I immediately get the feeling that I don’t want to read it. Sometimes I actually contemplate creating a filter for them so that they bypass my inbox entirely, but for now I sigh, unlock my key, start reading, and – with a faint glimmer of hope – am typically disappointed.

fddrdplktrew2• 2 years ago

lol

bitfilped• 2 years ago

Why are you ripping articles from Moxie?

proc0• 2 years ago

Avoid human contact.

ipnon• 2 years ago

My hack for ending discussion of a particularly controversial subject is to agree with everything the interlocutor claims:

“The sky is green.” Quite so. “It always has been green.” Undoubtedly. “Those who say otherwise need an eye exam.” I couldn’t agree more!

The success rate is near 100% because controversy feeds on antagonism. If everyone is on the same team, but one has nothing new to add but agreement, the conversation must shortly draw to a close.

chinathrow2• 2 years ago

"You should invest" - "Yes". I'll try that haha, thank you.

rozenmd• 2 years ago

This works particularly well on the Internet, just say "okay"

solardev2• 2 years ago

okay

rhelz• 2 years ago

I recommend pairing them with somebody who will badger them incessantly by telling them their bitcoin can buy enough auditing sessions so that they will be clear.

ac2u• 2 years ago

Pretend to be impressed and nod along for a second. "Oh wow, really?"

They're not looking for people to agree with them, they're looking for people to be skeptical so they can engage in debate mode and prove that they're "in the know".

It's the same as when a stranger starts going off on anti-vax rant, quickest way to wind down the point and change the subject is to be all "wow, it's a crazy world out there".

chinathrow2• 2 years ago

Right - but one dude comes back non stop and telling me it's not too late to invest and the usual nonsense about the value going up.

I have nothing to add...

codegeek• 2 years ago

Then tell him "Man I would love to invest but I ain't got 60K+ for 1 bitcoin. Would you be willing to lend me some to buy since it's such a great investment and I will share profits with you" ? Hopefully that ends it.

roland35• 2 years ago

Try asking him if he has heard of the goatse coin. Or maybe tubgirl coin. After googling that he'll probably not bring it up again!

d--b• 2 years ago

Ask him to give you money.

b20000• 2 years ago

you might reconsider

the CBDC is coming

swah2• 2 years ago

Lend me the guy. I'd love to be around people excited about anything, esp since COVID

alok99• 2 years ago

That sucks. I'm excited about a lot of things. I can't imagine COVID really changed that for other people - though I suspect you're right that it did.

solardev2• 2 years ago

Slight tangent, but have you been around older people or younger people lately?

I'm taking some classes at the local community college right now, despite being nearly 40 years old, and it's amazing to be surrounded by young people passionate about everything. The campus is just buzzing with energy and activity all the time, whether in class or extracurricular events, etc.

Similarly, one of our music classes went to perform at a local nursing home. We were pretty terrible and didn't practice enough lol but the old folks there were so so appreciative of us being there. We were the highlight of their week (or maybe month!).

There's still a lot of excitement out there!

swah2• 2 years ago

Yes, good point. Not really realistic to my current set-up. I thought the gym would also be a place like that but not really - people are really focused and w/ their earbuds on.

reify• 2 years ago

Just like all gamblers

Generally gamblers only talk with excitement about the near misses and if only's. The horse that lost a by a nose that could have netted them £10,000 would be regurgitated for weeks. yet never a mention of the low return wins that may occassionally crop up. Gambling is really only about the excitement of losing and near misses.

Though it is quite the opposite for bitcoin gamblers:

A lot more fantasy afoot. They tend to only talk of the wins. I bought £100 of bitcoin last year and its now worth £300, week in, week out. No mention of the times bitcoin crashed and they suddenly only had a mere £40 in their bitcoin wallet.

As soon as Bitcoin crashes again, which it will, after the avarice drove them to invested when the price was tooo high, ooops, the constant blabbering on about all the money they are going to make will stop. Until of course bitcoin rises again.

I usually only here this from Mr hard working, working class man who is struggling anyway because of his proorly paid job.

People with money do not talk about bitcoin as much, in fact people with money do not talk about money at all..

Oh the never ending waves of fantasy deep behind those staring, unblinking eyes.

I just tuck in my earloops as I do for all boring conversations,

quickthrower2• 2 years ago

Buy ear plugs and wait 6 months

RecycledEle• 2 years ago

I refused to take 1,000 bitcoins for a lunch.

I think that guy is very rich now. I'm not.

fnfjfk• 2 years ago

"I'm not that into Pokémon" works for pretty much anything.

danlugo92• 2 years ago

By showing them Monero.

przeor• 2 years ago

I would stop my friend to talk about Bitcoin, and replace it with Ethereum discussions xD

notahacker• 2 years ago

Sarcastic enthusiasm works well.

Got an entire fake crypto "trading" scam WhatsApp group just by expressing my extreme enthusiasm for receiving trading tips from people that had randomly added my mobile to their list.

SamPatt• 2 years ago

Be an adult and say "hey man, I know you're excited about Bitcoin but I'm tired of hearing about it. Please stop bringing it up."

Then it's up to them to either respect that or not, and you to remain friends or not.

Ask HN: How did you stop your friends talking about Bitcoin?

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