Discuss this Quote- Mahatma Gandhi \ stacker news ~BooksAndArticles

830 sats \ 18 comments \ @grayruby 24 Mar BooksAndArticles

It's Sunday, so it's time to discuss another quote.

You guys have been really awesome and insightful in responding to these. I think my strategy of just throwing the quote out there and letting everyone respond has been better than giving my thoughts on the quote as a jumping off point. You all likely know this one, so here goes:

"First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." -Mahatma Gandhi

Give me your thoughts. Can be Bitcoin centric or not.

Cheers, GR

view all related items

249 sats \ 2 replies \ @Undisciplined 24 Mar

How do you know if you're the "they" in that quote?

I imagine it's meant to apply to the side with truth on their side.

The liberty movement broadly and the bitcoin movement narrowly have been progressing through that sequence, so I certainly hope it's true.

There's kind of an inverse to this statement, as well: Instead of fighting your enemy, laugh at them, and better yet just ignore them.

52 sats \ 1 reply \ @grayruby OP 24 Mar

Insightful. I like the idea of inverting it as an approach to dealing with enemies/ detractors.

60 sats \ 0 replies \ @Undisciplined 24 Mar

I first heard those insights from Lew Rockwell.

Laughter is a bigger threat to tyrants than fighting because people like laughter and it's easier to undermine a regime than it is to overthrow one.

Also, one of his well known sayings is "The state is a boogeyman. If people would ignore it it would have no power."

260 sats \ 1 reply \ @StillStackinAfterAllTheseYears 24 Mar

Fun fact: It's actually a misattribution. The quote was actually “First they ignore you. Then they ridicule you. And then they attack you and want to burn you. And then they build monuments to you," said by a union organizer named Nicholas Klein a few years before Gandhi was credited with it.

That said, that's kind of what makes the words work -- they apply to any cause that's had to fight from the ground up. BTC's obviously the epitome of that. But as @Undisciplined noted, everyone thinks it applies to them. The groups that fail at each stage are forgotten. I feel it's more a mantra/self-affirmation (which is fine) than a truism.

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby OP 24 Mar

Wow interesting

60 sats \ 0 replies \ @Taft 25 Mar

Initially, every new idea or discovery is ignored and then fought, but eventually, if it's really a good idea or discovery, it prevails.

That's life! Initially, people hate and fight against innovative discoveries, but then they adore them.

50 sats \ 3 replies \ @Satosora 25 Mar

I feel this revolves around the truth. After they are done laughing, its the "oh shit" stage. They realize they have to try to squash it or join it. Eventually, if it is the truth, it doesnt even have to be bitcoin, you have won. Reminds me of Martin Heemeyer's Killdozer.

10 sats \ 2 replies \ @grayruby OP 25 Mar

So you are saying the “you win” moment is those who oppose finally accepting your truth?

20 sats \ 1 reply \ @Satosora 25 Mar

Not just my truth. The truth.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby OP 25 Mar

Gotcha

50 sats \ 0 replies \ @Coinsreporter 24 Mar

Great words from a great man. Mahatma Gandhi has been admired all around the world because he re-established the thought of 'vasudhaiv kutumbkum' meaning 'the whole world is your house'. There's lot to learn from Gandhian Philosophy and as a student, I came accross several of his works and they had a lot of impression on what I am today. My favourite quotation from Gandhi is "You must be the change you want to see in the world"

50 sats \ 2 replies \ @026180d3a3 24 Mar

Humanity has a tendency to treat its innovators poorly.

10 sats \ 1 reply \ @grayruby OP 24 Mar

Why do you think that is?

60 sats \ 0 replies \ @026180d3a3 24 Mar

Usually greed, envy, and stupidity and not being willing to fix one of those three issues.

20 sats \ 3 replies \ @jtwoodhouse 25 Mar

I'm not a fan of this quote. It reeks of survivorship bias.

History books are fun of people who were ignored, laughed at, fought, and lost.

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @grayruby OP 25 Mar

True but does it speak of the mindset one must have to be a contrarian or support something outside of the norm?

50 sats \ 1 reply \ @jtwoodhouse 25 Mar

Mindset is one thing. Whenever I hear this quote referenced, it implies a certain sense of inevitability that contrarian positions result in big success. That's not always the case.

You have to be contrarian AND right. They can be mutually exclusive.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @grayruby OP 25 Mar

Agree