Satoshi Notebook | The Long View

The Long View

longtermism is not just a perspective - it is the courage to extend our circle of care beyond the immediate, beyond our lifetimes, into humanity's deepest future.

The Expanded View

in a world obsessed with the immediate, taking the long view becomes a radical act. it requires seeing beyond the noise of now into the signal of centuries.

                            bitcoin embodies this principle in its design - a monetary network built not for quarters or years, but for generations and centuries.
                        

The Time Horizon

true longtermism shapes every decision:

                            • think in decades

                            • plan in generations

                            • build for centuries

                            • preserve for millennia

                            • care for the unborn

Beyond the Self

longtermism demands transcending our temporal limitations:

                            we must learn to care as deeply about those who will exist in centuries as we do about those who exist today. our circle of moral consideration must extend not just across space, but across time.
                        

The Bitcoin Lesson

bitcoin's design principles reflect deep longtermist wisdom:

                            • gradual emission over centuries

                            • immutable rules that transcend time

                            • security that strengthens with years

                            • truth that compounds through decades

                            • value that preserves across generations

Present Responsibilities

longtermism creates immediate obligations:

                            each present action must be weighed against its longest-term consequences. we become guardians not just of our own futures, but of humanity's deepest possibilities.
                        

The Temporal Commons

the future is our shared inheritance:

                            • preserve what matters

                            • protect what's precious

                            • improve what endures

                            • strengthen what survives

                            • honor what transcends

Beyond the Horizon

longtermism is not mere patience - it is the profound recognition that our actions echo through time, touching lives we will never know, shaping futures we will never see.

in choosing bitcoin, in thinking long-term, in caring about the distant future, we transcend our temporal limitations. we become part of humanity's longest story.

this is our highest calling: to be good ancestors, to plant trees we'll never sit under, to build systems that will serve those who come long after we are gone.