Yesterday, at the start of the evening, I played some soccer with a group of Portuguese and estrangeiros ( including two fellow Dutchmen, who I hadn't met before ). While we were warming up, just passing the ball to each other, waiting for more people to arrive, I asked the following:
Is any of you guys into crypto?
I wanted to follow this question up with talking about an app that I installed, less than a month ago, recommende by my neighbor, where you are paid in a digital coin for every step you take.
One of the guys, a Portugese ( not that that matters ), reacted pretty strongly. To summarize it, he was very much anti crypto and repeated, several times, that crypto investors are tax evaders
which I countered with:
I actually believe that tax is theft
I later added ( and so did one of the Dutchmen ) that if tax money was spent on the right kind of things ( and not to fund wars, among other things ), it would be a different story.
if it would, for instance be used to improve the deteriorating soccer field that we were playing on, I might change my mind, I joked.
The guy also added that all people here ( I think he was mainly referring to foreigners, like me, moving to Portugal ) were into crypto, that they didn't want to pay taxes. He hoped things would get regulated and that the government would start taxing crypto ( investors and holders ). I guess he was merely frustrated with his job, perhaps even jealous, thinking that we all made easy money, without any effort.
I am sure that regulation is going to happen, that it's just a matter of time, but for now, I'm happy to live in a country where cryptocurrency isn't being taxed.
I guess it's no surprise to you that I felt a little attacked / triggered, not just because I have been all-in in crypto for 5 years now, but also because I am kind of a tax evader, in a way.
Or - to rephrase that - I have paid very little tax money in my life, mainly because my University studies ( and the degree that it resulted in: Master(s) in Film Theory ) never lead to a decent job - aside from perhaps the last three years of my employed life, a very taxing time, when I was a teacher in higher education. During these three years I probably paid more taxes than ever before and the work resulted in ( undiagnosed ) depression ( not for the first time), a burn-out and me finally quitting my last job as a slave of the system ( 2016 ), discovering crypto ( 2017 ) and moving to another country ( 2018 ),pretty much leaving the system behind.
While passing the ball to each other, the discussion continued for a while.
Long story short, this guy ( or I should say man, as he's in his mid thirties, I guess, and a father ) was very much anti crypto and clearly didn't know much about this space, only having read the headlines.
He mainly blurted out cliches ( fake news ) about crypto and wasn't interested in me convincing him otherwise. I also didn't feel like it, in all honesty.
After all, I was / we were there to play soccer and relax.
So that's what we did, eventhough I briefly mentioned Sweatcoin which was immediately snowed under by his almost agressive bashing of cryptocurrency and crypto investors.
As I said, he wasn't ready to be convinced otherwise and I don't feel like or see the point in convincing people when they won't listen, so we eventually agreed to disagree on this subject.
A little later, two more guys arrived and we ended up playing some short matches on half a field ( one goal, best of three, two to three players per team and a keeper, only using your head to score in the circle ).
It was fun, and a nice, much-needed workout, that made me totally forget about crypto ( something that doesn't happen to me often ),
eventhough a voice in the back of my head told me that I perhaps should have put my phone in the back pocket of my shorts to earn more sweatcoin ;<)
Later, on our ride home, I shared a car with the 'anti-crypto guy' and another guy, who drove us.
This time around, we didn't talk about crypto but instead about movies and filmmaking, a shared passion and business ( for lack of a better word ).
In case you didn't know, I used to be a filmmaker ( and blogged about this quite a lot, in 2017 and 2018 ). I decided to take a break though, in 2019. As briefly mentioned before, I also studied film, in Uni, at the start of this century ( 2000-2007 ), watching and analyzing thousands of movies along the way.
Yes, I know: I'm ancient but still look like a young god
This film talk was, understandably, a much nicer conversation, as we mainly agreed
FYI: I don't like conflict, not even disagreements, I am very sensitive to tension, unbalanced energy.
Where do you think the hypersensitivosaurus character, that I invented, came from?
At a certain point in time, this dude came to talk about a piece of advice that his film teacher in Granada ( the beautiful Spanish city where he studied this subject and where I learnt Spanish, back in 2009 ) had given him, namely:
When you feel frustrated or lost in the (filmmaking) process and struggle to enjoy it, go back to the feeling you had when you first got the idea/ inspiration for your project.
Wise words.
They reminds me of many a film project, where I had lost most of the fun, eventhough I kept reminding my partner-in-crime ( who actually lived on another continent ( The US of A ), and vice versa, that we shouldn't forget to keep enjoying the creative process.
We forgot though, over and over again, and this led to lack of energy and motivation and, eventually, the end of many projects.
In all honesty, it was often lack of money and resources too, a different kind of energy
Which brings me back to crypto investing.
Five years ago, I discovered this space. I wrote two posts about that point in my life and wil link to them underneath this write up.
Back then, in May 2017, I was depressed and broke. Crypto investing changed my life. It gave me back my freedom and although I struggled quite a lot and I'm still far from 'rich'* I feel it has all been worth it. It also seems like I struggle less than in my pre-crypto times.
And that is the main thing and the reason why I am a crypto fan boy, not for the money but for the freedom.
When I quit my job, in the Summer of 2016, I swore that I would never work a job ( in the system ), ever again and I managed to keep that promise. It wasn't easy but it was worth it.
So what about you? Do you ever have heated discussions with people about crypto? Are you all-in, like me? What made you to discover this space, what led you here? I would love to hear your story in the comment section :<)
How I got into Crypto, back in May 2017:
Cabin in the Woods - Part 1
Cabin in the Woods - Part 2
*The soccer guy also talked about crypto people just wanting their (multi)million dollar mansion and a lambo - I don't even own a house, nor do I drive a car but, as mentioned before, I am free-er than the average person and I have more money in (crypto ) savings than ever before ) and I am proud to say that I don't pay any taxes at the moment and not because I am a pirate ( although I am, in a way ).
Oh and if you're actually 'into' and not 'anti'crypto and interested in earning passive income and collecting a coin by walking, you can use my Sweatcoin refferal by clicking here and get started with earning Sweatcoin