136 - Ben Gunn: Three Rules For Life - Part 1

Privacy, Anonymity, NOSTR, Bitcoin, Digital Identity, Governance, Freedom, Technology.

Timothy Allen speaks with Ben Gunn.

In part 1 of this conversation, pseudonymous Ben explores the evolving landscape of privacy, anonymity, and digital identity in a surveillance-driven world. He distinguishes privacy from secrecy, emphasizes the importance of reputation in small communities, and examines the challenges posed by increasingly pervasive monitoring technologies. Central to the conversation is NOSTR—and a decentralized identity and access control system designed to balance privacy, trust, and accountability.

The discussion also touches on broader themes of governance, digital freedom, and the potential for tools like Bitcoin and NOSTR to foster a more open, responsible, and decentralized future.

Enjoy the conversation.

SHOW SPONSOR: Veritas Village: https://www.ecovillages.life/freecities

Veritas Village is a phenomenal project in Panama, building off-grid, energy self-sufficient luxury homes for freedom lovers. Bitcoin is accepted at all villages, including for the purchase of property.

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TIMESTAMPS

• 0:00:30 Introduction to Episode
• 0:09:41 Start of Conversation
• 0:10:34 Why Hide Your Face?
• 0:13:09 The Future of Anonymity
• 0:16:01 Freedom and the Ability to Express Yourself
• 0:18:24 The Case for Small Independent Jurisdictions
• 0:21:22 Using Nostr as an Identity
• 0:29:50 The Middle of Extremes
• 0:30:53 Ian Underwood’s New Theory of Governance
• 0:37:42 Will Nostr Adoption Scale?
• 0:42:10 Aren’t Centralized Systems More Efficient?
• 0:45:39 Insurance Is a Good Pricing Mechanism
• 0:48:15 Will Decentralized ID Always Remain a Niche Application?
• 0:51:23 Nostr Adoption vs. Bitcoin Adoption
• 0:57:36 Freedom: Digital vs. Physical
• 1:00:05 Living in a Parallel System
• 1:03:14 How Do We Get Freedom in the Physical World?
• 1:05:50 The Hardest Part of the Problem
• 1:07:40 You Don’t Have Michael Saylor’s Perspective
• 1:11:50 Bitcoin & Nostr Are So Important Together
• 1:15:24 The State Can Always Come In and Shut You Down
• 1:19:45 Run Away or Stay and Fight?
• 1:21:48 A Return to Morals
• 1:25:58 Is Bitcoin a Non-Violent Revolution?
• 1:28:26 The Audacity of the Nixon Shock
• 1:31:54 Outro – Listen to Part 2

NOSTR:

• Ben Gunn: npub1lt8nn8aaa6qa63wjwj8gz2djf5nlhg3zfd0v6l45v8zhvuyh0p3s5zzt5y
• Timothy Allen: Search 'timothy@nostr.com' on your Nostr app
• Free Cities Foundation: npub1lsj8pmgedqqamt89c27tzjjnlf0wn7q7udjm7j2cl9xxz97eacns2mwpee

LEGACY SOCIAL MEDIA:

• Timothy Allen: https://twitter.com/MrTimothyAllen
• Free Cities Foundation: https://twitter.com/freecitiesfound

OTHER LINKS:

• Ben's previous interview with the FCP: https://fountain.fm/episode/LIqKd15kkcC8tp3R81ia
• Free Cities Foundation: https://free-cities.org/
• SPONSOR: Veritas Village: https://www.ecovillages.life/freecities