I used to struggle explaining Bitcoin to friends and family, this was a very sad experience every single time specially that I know it would help them tremendously improve their finances. It wasn't them but it was my approach that wasn't so good. I underestimate how much mental barriers people have and how much fiat is already embedded in their mind, so coming up to them with like Bitcoin that they heard from TV is for dark-net users is not an easy task, but thankfully I found a way 2 years ago and it worked.
I found sharing few sats with friends and family is a great way to help initiate them to Bitcoin, as stupid this might sound a few thousand Sats gift here and there is like planting seeds for the coming years. instead of spreading memes to convert them today, I took a 2 to 3 years approach, so 2 years ago I decided to share some Sats with them, I never thought these people would ever change their mind on Bitcoin but to my surprise they did and today they are stacking Sats like psychopaths, so It worked for me in a low time preference way since I told them to keep it for more than 3 years see what it does and I also teach them about it on a Whatsapp group I create.
Some thoughts:
Those are great ideas, I will keep them in mind, thank you!
When they complain about being poor—tell them "study bitcoin"
When they complain about inflation—tell them "study bitcoin"
When they ask why you have so much wealth while not having a slave job like them—tell them "study bitcoin"
Never mention "buy bitcoin", they must study and understand it first, otherwise they will lose it, panic sell and blame it on you.
No debating. No arguing. No talking. They MUST unplug first.
Only say "study bitcoin".
If they come back asking questions, only then you use your time to teach them.
Telling your them "Study Bitcoin" is a great approach but where I think there might be an issue is where they are going study from. More often people go watch mainstream media videos and CrYpTo youtubers who want to scam them with *shitcoins and such.
Plus, must people are still scared of Bitcoin either due to price volatility or what they've heard about it from the media, that's one of the reason why it's so hard for them to find motivation in studying it, but by having some Sats on their smartphone they can kind of see that it's not that scary and eventually see the value.
You are not wrong. Too much scams.
'The Bitcoin Standard' book is a good start for newbies.
Avoiding youtube videos with open mouths thumbnails / graphs is also a great tip to filter out most of the garbage.
My approach has been to try and be as subtle and accessible as I can be. I like the idea of sending people sats, and have tried this in the past with great results.
Most people I know are fascinated by my approach to personal finance. I run my household on a strict zero-based budget. Every single cent I earn is delegated to a specific need. It does need some tweaking from time to time, but it works rather well.
Once I have explained how my budgeting system works, that is where I reveal my intent. I budget and track everything so that I can look for ways to save on costs. The more money I can save, the more bitcoin I can buy.
From there I then explain how they can invest in bitcoin, which is in a number of ways. I find if I make it too technical, then they tend to lose interest. So I instead explain all the easy ways to invest in bitcoin while stressing self-custody as the end goal.
I have onboarded a few friends this way, and my partner is onboard too.
Very interesting approach, what are your easy ways of explaining Bitcoin? I guess that's also what most people want to learn.
Easy ways of investing into Bitcoin are ETFs, retirement savings plans, and exchanges. Starting with these are habit forming, and then they can go from there. My job is to show them where the rabbit hole is, they can decide how to go down it from there.
My strategy is to lead by example and never preach. Be kind and listen, never push. Be prepared but never anxious or impatient.