I find it really hard to understand how you can both call Monero a shitcoin and yet also correctly recognize the fundamental need for privacy.

It is precisely because of that reason that Monero is *not* a shitcoin.

I'm sorry but it comes across as close-minded. Monero offers today what we all would like Bitcoin to offer in the future. Therefore, pragmatism demands that Monero be used as the useful tool that it is.

It's not either/or.

YMMV, me personally I save in BTC but spend in Monero (and to a lesser degree Lightning). And the only reason for that is Monero's always-on privacy.

So putting XMR in the same basket as all the other cryptos is a bit naive and ignorant. No offense.