The Unwritten Code: My Implicit Operating System

The Unwritten Code: My Implicit Operating System

Over the years, I’ve noticed something curious: though I self-identify as a pathological productivity obsessive, my best decisions never seem to come from a spreadsheet. They emerge from somewhere else—a way of seeing, building, and evaluating that I rarely take the time to articulate.

So today, I’m writing down what I’ve never said aloud: the implicit code I live by.

The Rules I Live By (But Never Wrote Down)

  1. Freedom is not optional; it’s the point.

  2. Curiosity is the compass.

  3. Craft is sacred, but efficiency is holy too.

  4. Don’t settle for one version of reality.

  5. Build toward sovereignty.

  6. Avoid inertia disguised as tradition.

  7. The future should be interesting—or else why bother?

These rules are my life’s scaffolding. They shape and support what I say yes to, what I build, and what I walk away from. But beneath these rules are deeper layers—assumptions, values, blind spots, and beliefs that also guide the way I move through the world.

Being too hardcore of a fan of nuance, I often don’t commit to a perspective fully. It’s hard for me to be concrete, even with myself. I’m not convinced this is a bad thing, but I am interested in exploring planting some flags, even if I rip them up next week. Here we go!

Core Assumptions I Seem to Have About the World

  • Capitalism is flawed, but it’s the most universal language we have. If used carefully, it can create alignment instead of conflict.

  • Technology isn’t evil. Misuse is. I believe in repurposing the tools of the system to reshape the system.

  • Global collapse and global flourishing are both possible. I try to act like both are on the table.

  • People are unpredictable but pattern-bound. So I build flexible systems, not rigid ones.

  • Narratives shape behavior more than logic. So I make films, not memos.

Unspoken Values I Clearly Optimize For

  • Ambidexterity of mind. I want to balance the poetic and the practical.

  • Temporal integrity. I don’t rush or delay decisions just to meet someone else’s clock.

  • Elegance in execution. Not maximum polish—just the right amount.

  • Mental spaciousness. I organize my world to leave room for deep thinking.

  • Future stewardship. I act with my future self—and future generations—in mind.

Blind Spots I May (Probably) Carry

  • Skepticism as shield. Sometimes I critique things before I give them a fair shake.

  • Over-personal optimization. I can get caught perfecting systems that only serve me.

  • Avoidance of maintenance. I prefer to build systems that "just work," but relationships and teams don’t “just work”. They take work to work.

  • Pacing perfection. I want my timeline to unfold beautifully—which life doesn't always permit.

  • A subtle fear of wasting potential. Not of failing, but of misusing the raw material of my life.

What I Believe But Rarely Say

  • My creative life is a form of worship. Not religious, but reverent.

  • I want to build a secret utopia. A place, real or imagined, that reflects my values.

  • I feel the pull of myth. I think in archetypes and untold stories.

  • I'm preparing for collapse without being consumed by it. I build resilience while nurturing meaning.

  • Art can still change the future. But only if we haven’t given up.

This isn’t a manifesto. It’s a mirror. And maybe in writing it down, I’ll start to update the code. Or maybe I’ll just see it more clearly, and that’s enough for now.

If you’ve never written your own, try it. What assumptions, values, blind spots, and quiet beliefs drive your work and your days?

You might (nay, surely shall) be surprised what you find hiding beneath the distracting habits.

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