The education system didn’t just disappoint me — it revealed itself to be fiat through and through.

I didn’t plan to walk away from my teaching job. Eight years in, I knew the rhythms. I knew the students. I knew how to navigate the classroom and the politics. But then something happened — not just one event, but a buildup of contradictions that finally became impossible to ignore.

My brother, and fellow Spanish teacher in the same school, read as written a passage from To Kill a Mockingbird. Classic literature. A book about courage, conscience, and justice. But somehow sharing a teachable moment with his class and speaking truth from a work of fiction turned into a violation. A controversy. A problem for the institution to "manage."

As the school decided to non-renew my brother, that was it. I looked at the system — and I saw fiat.

When it came down to standing with my brother or standing with the fiat system, the choice was clear — family comes first.

What Do I Mean by “Fiat”?

Most people think fiat just means paper money. But Bitcoiners know better. Fiat is a mindset. It's the belief that value can be declared instead of earned. That authority is virtue. That convenience is more important than truth.

Fiat systems reward compliance over conscience. Performance over integrity. Appearances over substance. It’s not just the money that’s broken — it’s the entire structure. From the top down.

And once you see that, you can’t unsee it.

Staying Would’ve Been Easy — And Wrong

The easy path? Stay quiet. Play the game. Cash the paycheck. Make peace with discomfort and call it “being wise.” I was good at that.

But fiat systems thrive when good people stay quiet.

When my brother was non-renewed for reading a passage from To Kill a Mockingbird, the message was loud and clear: truth is expendable when it threatens the narrative. That moment forced me to confront what I already sensed — the system doesn’t want critical thinkers; it wants compliant performers.

Bitcoin taught me to zoom out. To think in decades. To value proof-of-work, not status. To see beyond incentives and ask: what’s true? what’s lasting? what’s right?

I couldn’t participate in a system that punishes truth and rewards spin. I couldn’t ask my students to think critically when the institution itself demanded conformity.

Bitcoin Gave Me the Tools to Exit

Bitcoin trains you to resist easy answers. It makes you uncomfortable in dishonest systems. It shows you that real value takes time, that trust must be earned, that truth doesn’t bend for convenience.

And once I learned that lesson in money, it started showing up everywhere else:

In the way policies are written.
In how silence is preferred over courage.
In how institutions defend their own image before defending the truth.

Bitcoin helped me understand what it means to opt out. Not just financially, but spiritually, culturally, and vocationally.

Fiat Thinking Isn’t Just About Money — It’s About Everything

Fiat says:

“Sit down, stay quiet, we know best.”
“Here’s your identity — we’ve pre-approved it.”
“Truth is flexible. So are morals. Don’t rock the boat.”

Bitcoin says:

“Run your own node.”
“Verify, don’t trust.”
“Value is real — and truth matters.”

The education system I was part of ran on fiat principles. Top-down mandates. Censorship of uncomfortable ideas. Fear-driven decision making. Emphasis on appearances, metrics, and control.

The fruit of fiat is always the same: rot.

Now What?

Now I’m walking in faith. I don’t have all the answers — but I do have clarity. I have conviction. And I have peace.

I know I’m not called to perpetuate a lie. I’m called to raise my family, speak truth, and build what’s real.

Bitcoin taught me to save slowly, to think clearly, to stay grounded in truth — and it gave me the courage to walk away when that truth was on the line.

The Exit Is the Beginning

This isn’t the end. It’s the beginning of something better. A different path — slower, maybe harder — but far more aligned with truth.

Bitcoiners talk a lot about “opting out.” For me, this was it.

And I’ve never been more certain that it was the right move.

Stay tuned and stay sovereign.

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Leaving the System: Why I Walked Away — and How Bitcoin Prepared Me