When somebody tells you something can’t be done, ask: “Does it defy the laws of physics?”
George Mack
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When somebody tells you something can’t be done, ask: “Does it defy the laws of physics?”
The human brain is a question answering machine. If you ask it: “What is good in my life?” — it will find answers. If you ask it: “What is bad in my life?” — it will find answers.
If you ask it, “Does this defy the laws of physics?” — it will reply with “No” — and start creating all the ludicrous ways this could be possible. The limits of your questions are the limits of your world.
The modern philosopher Liam Gallagher once sang: “Questions are the answers you might need”
“Does this defy the laws of physics?” forces you to wipe your mental whiteboard around the problem and start from first principles.
If the bouncer on the front door says you can’t get in - a low agency trap to fall into is to accept this social statement as reality. Instead ask yourself: "Does getting into this venue defy the laws of physics?"
In order to get into the venue — do you need to defy the laws of thermodynamics or break Newtons laws of motion?
This question sounds absurd — but it’s powerful because it debugs our social code. The social code of accepting what other people have said. The irony is that these rules only exists in other people’s head — because it exists in other people’s head.
A lot of social rules are like a giant Ponzi scheme — they only have value because people think they have value. And the grandkids of the people that enforce them often look back with condemnation at the grandparents for following them — because they’ve moved onto a new set of social rules.
The bouncer may have said you can’t get in tonight — but if you work from first principles -- there's lots of ways you could still get in:
• Bribe the bouncer,
• Get in through the back door
• Contact the owner of the venue
• Disguise yourself in a new outfit
• Get your friends to bring a full camera studio and pretend it's TMZ caputring the club denying entry to an A-list celebrity
If it doesn’t defy the laws of physics, you have some agency over the situation. Ask the brain that question, and watch the answers it produces.
To steelman this argument — let’s present an absurd example: Will your 1 metre friend who’s never played a game of basketball in his life make it in the NBA?
It’s extremely improbable — but it doesn’t defy the laws of physics.
Does it defy the laws of physics one day that my friend will be able to edit his genetic code and download the Deep Blue equivalent for basketball to his consciousness? Not necessarily. We just haven’t figured out how yet.
This metaphor sounds absurd because of our social constructs about our current form of reality.
If you told a person from 5,000 years ago about the car, smartphone, airplane, antibiotics, nuclear weapons, helicopters, Zoom — it would appear just as absurd.
Warning: If you ask this question regularly — you will look like an absolute lunatic to everyone around you.
You will be socially false — but historically correct.
“Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those that could not hear the music” - Nietzsche
If you ask: “Does this defy the laws of physics?” — you can hear a soft sound of music coming from a future room.
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When somebody tells you something can’t be done, ask: “Does it defy the laws of physics?”
The human brain is a question answering machine. If you ask it: “What is good in my life?” — it will find answers. If you ask it: “What is bad in my life?” — it will find answers.
If you ask it, “Does this defy the laws of physics?” — it will reply with “No” — and start creating all the ludicrous ways this could be possible. The limits of your questions are the limits of your world.
The modern philosopher Liam Gallagher once sang: “Questions are the answers you might need”
“Does this defy the laws of physics?” forces you to wipe your mental whiteboard around the problem and start from first principles.
If the bouncer on the front door says you can’t get in - a low agency trap to fall into is to accept this social statement as reality. Instead ask yourself: "Does getting into this venue defy the laws of physics?"
In order to get into the venue — do you need to defy the laws of thermodynamics or break Newtons laws of motion?
This question sounds absurd — but it’s powerful because it debugs our social code. The social code of accepting what other people have said. The irony is that these rules only exists in other people’s head — because it exists in other people’s head.
A lot of social rules are like a giant Ponzi scheme — they only have value because people think they have value. And the grandkids of the people that enforce them often look back with condemnation at the grandparents for following them — because they’ve moved onto a new set of social rules.
The bouncer may have said you can’t get in tonight — but if you work from first principles -- there's lots of ways you could still get in:
• Bribe the bouncer,
• Get in through the back door
• Contact the owner of the venue
• Disguise yourself in a new outfit
• Get your friends to bring a full camera studio and pretend it's TMZ caputring the club denying entry to an A-list celebrity
If it doesn’t defy the laws of physics, you have some agency over the situation. Ask the brain that question, and watch the answers it produces.
To steelman this argument — let’s present an absurd example: Will your 1 metre friend who’s never played a game of basketball in his life make it in the NBA?
It’s extremely improbable — but it doesn’t defy the laws of physics.
Does it defy the laws of physics one day that my friend will be able to edit his genetic code and download the Deep Blue equivalent for basketball to his consciousness? Not necessarily. We just haven’t figured out how yet.
This metaphor sounds absurd because of our social constructs about our current form of reality.
If you told a person from 5,000 years ago about the car, smartphone, airplane, antibiotics, nuclear weapons, helicopters, Zoom — it would appear just as absurd.
Warning: If you ask this question regularly — you will look like an absolute lunatic to everyone around you.
You will be socially false — but historically correct.
“Those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those that could not hear the music” - Nietzsche
If you ask: “Does this defy the laws of physics?” — you can hear a soft sound of music coming from a future room.
----
If you enjoyed this, it's taken from my newsletter.
Get my best ideas when you sign up. Link below.