Understanding and Manipulating Systems to Maximize Gains

 If you pay close enough attention to the universe around you, you will realize that everything is either part of a system or a system as a whole. Most define systems as interconnected networks, but I argue that systems are interconnected networks that perform certain functions. Many systems are social constructs, many are political constructs, many are biological, many are psychological, and many are cosmic. Systems can even be part of a greater system, which is quite common. 

An example: the healthcare system is a human-created system that is a network of interrelated things to accomplish certain functions. Some examples of interrelated things in the healthcare system are medications, medical staff (and the power dynamics between them), procedures, hospitals, and the billing process. The goal functions can vary depending on the particulars of a specific healthcare system, such as the country, the political motives of the healthcare authorities, or the socioeconomic status of the primary population. Some may argue that the healthcare system in The United States is geared toward mostly (or solely) financial gain because of the pharmaceutical industry (“big pharma”) and insurance companies. Others may say that the main goal of the healthcare system in The United States is to heal the citizens. Regardless of what the functions accomplished are, the healthcare system fits the definition of a system because it is an interconnected web that performs functions.

Success in your endeavors is ultimately controlled by your skill set in tandem with how well you fit into the specific systems in your life. There is a way for you to slightly mold some of the systems so you can fit better (kind of like the induced fit theory of an enzyme and substrate). You must first understand the key systems in your life to be able to manipulate them, and you must tactfully manipulate some of these systems to reap the most benefits from them. 

Learning how to understand the systems that are prevalent in your life is not easy for everyone. It comes more naturally to some rather than others. Neurodivergence can help with this because those who stand apart from the crowd tend to be more observant of their environment, their own differences, and the crowd. For those of you that this will not come as easily to, I will use the common experience example of work/school.

The fundamental way of learning how to understand any system is by observation. You must practice observing the system, specifically, the explicit and unspoken rules, leaders/authorities (if there are any), power dynamics, your peers in the system (if there are any), and where you stand in relation to other things in the system. Sometimes, the unspoken rules have an overarching presence, dominating the system in some cases. 

Work/school example: Instead of mindlessly going through your day, stop, stay silent, and pay attention to your environment. Try to find patterns to be able to understand the overt and underlying mechanics of the system. Study the apparent rules, but look for the obscured unspoken rules behind the apparent rules. At work or school, this could be accomplished by reading over the workplace or school rules and acknowledging the social rules present. Identify the authorities, which would be any boss or upper level in the workplace and teachers, principal, and other faculty in school. The power dynamics can be, well, dynamic. At work, it can be as simple as the boss is the one with all of the power and everyone below them submits. Or, there can be a complex interplay between people of varying levels of privilege. In school, there are often a few power dynamics. The “popular kids” tend to have the power in the social scene while teachers tend to have the power in academics. There can be a power dynamic between faculty. There can also be a power dynamic between teachers and parents. Next, you need to find your peers. At work, your peers could be those at the same professional level as you. In school, your peers can be those in the same grade (chronological peers), but they can also be your intellectual peers (or they can be both). 

You must also be introspective and observe yourself. Find all of the ways you relate to the system. Know what your skill set is. Then, know what you want from the system. Understanding how you relate to and how your skill set works in the system is the next step in the observation stage. Let’s say, for example, you are a college student. Your strengths are flexible thinking, creativity, writing well, and understanding abstract concepts. Your weaknesses are in working with numbers in a concrete way, not being able to write as fast as others, not being able to do menial tasks, and attentional dysregulation. Next, figure out what you want from your college school system. Let’s say you want to get into law school to become a lawyer. When you have enough knowledge about the system and yourself, combine your knowledge: figure out which of your attributes can work well in the system and which can cause friction. You have some great qualities that would set you up for success, but you also have some difficulties that could impede your ability to become a lawyer. 

After understanding the system and how you relate to it, it’s time to figure out how and if you need to manipulate it. Manipulating any system is a delicate balance between bending the system’s rules to accommodate your skill set and accepting and partially submitting to the rules and authorities without losing your integrity. The first part of manipulating a system is planning and problem-solving. Figure out what is getting in the way of your success, how you can get what you want despite barriers, and how to be productive. After some troubleshooting and planning, you take action. Start being productive. You must be productive in your own sense, and act in accordance with your values. Work toward what you want, not toward what others want of you. You can help others of course, but do not sacrifice too much of yourself. Never go against your morals for others or yourself, as that would be threatening to your integrity.

Work/school example: Most likely, to optimize your benefits, you will have to manipulate the systems in both school and work. Let’s say that for work, you want to get the most money out of the system without deviating too much from the confines of the system. In this case, you can partially submit to the system by showing up for work every day, on time, and work enough not to get fired. But, at the same time, you must make a plan. You could plan to work on a lucrative side hustle (that may one day be your primary source of income). If you’re able to get away with that while at work, good for you, but that’s not what I mean by “at the same time.” While you’re employed, you can use your employment to your advantage by seeing how a certain business can be run and apply your knowledge to your own endeavors. You can learn many skills during employment such as good customer service, leadership, budgeting, marketing, managing, and designing skills. For work, don’t cheat or abuse your privileges while you’re trying to get ahead. Be fair. For school, if you want to get the best personalized education but still get into a decent college, you have to slightly manipulate and partially submit. Sounds like I made a mistake when saying “get the best personalized education but still get into a decent college,” but that is not a mistake. A better education does not always lead to a better college acceptance (as you can read in my last blog post). If you can teach yourself more at a faster pace than most of your classes, then plan to become an autodidact. Plan your learning schedule and plan for possible barriers like a heavy school workload (because you still have to follow some of the curriculum). While you should still attend classes so as not to have any attendance issues, you could do your own thing and teach yourself what you want or what the class is teaching but just at a faster pace. Do not cheat though, if you choose the autodidactic path, make sure you are able to pass on your own merit, not on someone else’s. If you know cheating is wrong, don’t be a sellout and destroy your integrity by trying to game the system. 

Essentially, use the systems in your life to your advantage without sacrificing your morality. The key to maximize gains from the systems in your life is to understand, plan, and then be productive in your own sense (while being adequately productive to society).

 I encourage you to at least think about the systems in your life there is a lot you can learn about the world, society, and even yourself.

-Sophie