How to hack the system : And why you shouldn’t

I love the concept of hacking things together. Products that can be put together haphazardly using basic tools to get a working prototype, using bio hacks to get my body functioning better or just hacking any system, there’s something “outlaw-ish” about it & I love it.

Recently though, I realised that it might not be a great way to approach long term goals. Look back to your earliest years. We’ve been taught to hack the system since we’ve been born. In school, it was easier to get some sort of “guide” which listed out the most common questions (and answers) that had been asked in the exams & the general hack was that if we could just learn those, there’s a good chance that we’ll get somewhat decent marks in the exams. It was the same in College. And in the work that you did post your education too.

When faced with a challenge, it’s easier to figure a hack around it instead of doing better work. And it’s natural, because finding a “hack” is so tempting. Why would you spend significantly more time & resources doing things that could be done easily? Logically, you’re right. You shouldn’t. It’s easier to get a protein bar than to cook a wholesome meal. It’s also easier to create content that goes viral by hacking the algorithm than it is to actually have an honest conversation with yourself about what you really want to create. It’s easier to make the impression of doing the work than it is to actually do the work. It’s easier to form superfluous relationships & feel like you have friends & a support system than to put in the work that goes into great relationships that last.

Is hacking necessarily a bad thing though? I’d argue that in some cases, it’s essential. When you’re building a quick idea out in your head, it’s great to get started by hacking together a prototype that does 80% of the work, even though its cumbersome & can’t scale. When you want to tap into fleeting motivation to get started with a healthy lifestyle, it makes sense to grab that protein bar laden with corn syrup & fruit alcohols. When you’re starting making content, it might makes sense to get validation & keep going by hacking the algorithm. When you’re starting to create, it’s easier to use ChatGPT to generate work that you can pass off as your own. But, will it last?

To create anything that works in the longer term, hacking can only take you so far. Long term results in any domain almost always come from actually doing the hard work that you were trying to avoid. Sure, you can hack the system & get a start, but it won’t take you too far. Use it to get the motivation you need, but the real work starts when the “hacking” is over.