This is an opinion piece by Mickey Koss, a West Point graduate with a degree in economics. He spent four years in the infantry before moving to the Finance Corps.
It may seem counter-intuitive, but in my last four years serving in the U.S. Army, I’ve essentially been a customer service specialist, whether it was resolving pay issues in the military pay office as a commanding officer, or resolving travel or budget issues as a comptroller in an operational unit.
Lately, I’ve found myself asking customers more questions than they ask me. I have come to realize that a lot of people don’t really understand the issues they are having. And, because of this conundrum, the questions they ask me when asking for help may not yield an answer that actually solves these problems. I realized that a big part of my job was to uncover the real problems, so I could fix them at the root.
Therein lies a common thread that I found with “orange pilling” and teaching people Bitcoin. Just like the soldier who walks up to me, asking a question that doesn’t really make sense, your friends and family can also ask you weird questions – without really understanding the problems Bitcoin is trying to solve.
As guardians of the Bitcoin space and de facto ambassadors to our circles of acquaintances, I see the role of Bitcoiners as similar to that of a customer service professional. People don’t understand the monetary system, let alone the problems they face. (Insert here the potentially overused analogy of questioning a fish on water.)
Instead of blindly answering questions and taking them at face value, I challenge you to dig a little deeper next time. Help your curious friend understand what he is asking. Help them uncover issues they didn’t know they cared about. Help them ask the right questions. Otherwise, they may never solve their problems.
This is a guest post by Mickey Koss. The opinions expressed are entirely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of BTC Inc or Bitcoin Magazine.
