I Was in a Cult with Tuur Demeester
Where to find the show
Download Episode MP3 File
The file will open in a new window. Click down arrow to download the file.
SHOW DESCRIPTION
Tuur Demeester is a Bitcoin investor and economist. In this interview, we discuss how he was drawn into a toxic online cult, his awakening and leaving, Twitter enabling cultist behaviours within Bitcoin and why it’s key to give air to all voices within Bitcoin.
- - - -
Wisdom is developed through experience: an individual's interaction with other people and events, and their personal reflections on the outcomes, enhance understanding of both the self and the world. Knowledge isn’t endowed genetically, and education provides limited direction. Perspective on exposure to our environment is what drives tangible learning and growth.
People can easily find themselves developing beliefs, and engaging in actions, with the benefit of hindsight they later deem antithetical to an evolved worldview. Submission to a cult, that is adherence to common belief systems and behaviours advocated by a charismatic leader, is an extreme example of this.
People will largely dismiss the idea that they could be susceptible to becoming a cultist. And yet, even the most infamous cults are full of highly educated, principled, and engaging people. People who have then made life decisions that are hard to objectively comprehend. The truth is that we’re all susceptible.
Commonly cults are cast as people in white robes; collectives holed up in fortified buildings; empty-eyed automatons following a messianic figure. But cults are less obvious and more pervasive than we’d imagine. Today, with easy access to powerful and toxic social media tools, building and energising and channelling an audience is available to anyone with a voice.
It’s never been easier to develop a cult.
So, where are the dividing lines? What’s the difference between impassioned rhetoric and dangerous invective? Should we try and conduct reasoned debate using tools that are structurally deficient for such tasks? How open can we be to divergent opinions in a world full of noise and pressure? Could we sleepwalk into a cult, or worse, become a corrupted cult leader?
TIMESTAMPS
00:04:10: Introductions
00:06:41: Background to the story
00:12:51: The elements that drew young people in to the cult
00:19:25: Connecting with the cult community
00:26:42: The revenue model
00:30:00: Tuur meeting his wife and getting out of the cult
00:44:50: People have lost the ability to think and simply follow opinions
00:52:54: Looking at net impacts, and law and order
00:58:19: Cultist behaviours in altcoins and potentially Bitcoin
01:03:08: The bullying culture of social media and the impact it has
01:14:11: WBD engaging with a wider audience to join Bitcoin
01:19:02: The climate change debate
01:26:24: What's next for Tuur?
01:29:30: Final comments
SUPPORT THE SHOW
If you enjoy The What Bitcoin Did Podcast you can help support the show by doing the following:
Become a Patron and get access to shows early or help contribute
Make a tip:
Subscribe on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | YouTube | TuneIn | RSS Feed
Leave a review on iTunes
Share the show and episodes with your friends and family
Subscribe to the newsletter on my website
Follow me on Twitter Personal | Twitter Podcast | Instagram | Medium | YouTube
If you are interested in sponsoring the show, you can read more about that here or please feel free to drop me an email to discuss options.
SPONSORS
SHOW NOTES
Connect with Tuur:
Mentioned in the interview:
Other Relevant WBD Podcasts:
WBD493: Is There a Moral Case for Fossil Fuels? with Alex Epstein
WBD481: Bitcoin’s Clean Energy Revolution with Nic Carter & Troy Cross
WBD454: The Breakdown of Trust with Balaji Srinivasan & Glenn Greenwald
WBD425: Bitcoin Vs Altcoins 2 with Alex Gladstein & Erik Voorhees
WBD388: Bitcoin Rehab: Money for Enemies with American Hodl & Jason Williams
WBD239: #Unity2020: Ending the Two-Party System with Bret Weinstein
Defiance 029 - The Real Science Of Climate Change | Prof. Katharine Hayhoe