Axel

“A large populace held in check by a small but powerful force is quite a common situation in our universe. And we know the major conditions wherein this large populace may turn upon its keepers— “One: When they find a leader. This is the most volatile threat to the powerful; they must retain control of leaders. “Two: When the populace recognizes its chains. Keep the populace blind and unquestioning. “Three: When the populace perceives a hope of escape from bondage. They must never even believe that escape is possible!”
― Frank Herbert, Children of Dune

“is essentially to deny agency, to say we would all lie, cheat, and steal, all of the time, if only we knew for sure we would get away with it. Rather, we restrain from theft, destruction, and breach of contract because we respect the agency of others.”
― Allen Farrington, Bitcoin Is Venice: Essays on the Past and Future of Capitalism

“Crypto is about the power of privacy, and the form of power that is decrypted when the concealment of information is verified and guaranteed beyond the law of any and all men. But so long as ‘crypto’ remains a vacuous slogan used by every piece of shit blockchain thought up, crypto will continue to be a nascent term concealing its true meaning and its messianic potential to all who see it, but not to those who seek it.”
― Erik Cason, Cryptosovereignty: The Encrypted Political Philosophy of Bitcoin

“Poker is ultimately a battle against human irrationality. To master poker is to master the brain, the human apparatus. This is also the journey.”
― Haseeb Qureshi, How to Be a Poker Player: The Philosophy of Poker