Conformists and Rebels

Conformists: 95% of people live according to their predetermined fate.
Rebels: Only 5% possess the ability to defy instincts (subconsciousness, self-awareness, and genetic predispositions). These individuals attain freedom in life and achieve financial independence.

Example 1: The Story of Wild Ducks from Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

When the migration season arrives, wild ducks take flight, and a strange ripple forms over the areas they soar above.
Domesticated ducks begin flapping their wings clumsily, forming large triangles as if drawn by the flying flock.
The call of the wild seems to awaken an unknown primal trace within their hearts.

In an instant, the farm ducks transform into migratory birds.
Their small, rigid minds, once fixated on swamps, bugs, and the modest surroundings of their duck coops, now expand to encompass the vast continent, the taste of ocean breezes, and the geography of the seas.
These ducks had no idea that their minds were capable of holding such marvelous wonders.

Wild Ducks: The life one is inherently meant to live, the essence yearning to rise within.
Domesticated Ducks: A life enslaved to societal expectations, chasing after what others deem valuable.

Is There a Formula for Life?

Most people live under the illusion that the thoughts they generate are extraordinary.

Example 2: The Story of an Android Named “Jisoo”

Jisoo is a humanoid robot created by a genius scientist.
She is designed to think independently and reflect on her identity.
When faced with challenges and adversities, she uses her wisdom to solve problems and experiences a sense of accomplishment and happiness.
Jisoo believes she is a special being and even considers herself human.

One day, she stumbles upon a shocking scene.
She discovers countless robots identical to herself lying in rows and comes across her creator’s computer, which contains her design plan.

The Plan:

All robots are designed to have intelligence.
All robots are programmed to feel pain when encountering problems and joy when solving them.
These memories accumulate to gradually form a sense of self.

Jisoo is devastated upon learning this, but as time passes, she begins to calm down.
“I’m different from those other robots lying there. I understand my creator’s intentions. I’m an evolving entity shaped by experiences. That makes me special.”

However, there was another hidden plan she had not discovered:
4. If a robot learns about its identity, it is designed to feel “I’m more special” to prevent its self-awareness from collapsing.

Why Do Humans Fail to Attain Freedom?

Humans live according to the commands of their instincts and genetic predispositions.
Fate is largely predetermined from birth.
Those born in the top 50% typically spend their lives fluctuating between the 45th and 55th percentiles.

Like chickens in a farmyard, their destinies are already set, yet they consider themselves free.
Our self-awareness constantly whispers,
“You have free will. You’re the protagonist of this world.”
But this is an illusion. Even as puppets of our instincts and genetic codes, we convince ourselves we are special.

Rebels are those who sever these strings and attain genuine freedom.

The 3 Steps to Becoming a Rebel

1. Deconstructing Self-Awareness: Removing the Armor Around You

Eliminate defensive mechanisms like, “I can’t because of ~~.”
Even when exposed to books or successful individuals, many think,
“That’s nonsense, just a devil’s whisper to make money.”
This mindset arises because believing oneself to be special is a psychological crutch for survival.
To break through this, one must repeatedly witness cases that fracture their self-awareness.
Seeing success stories fewer than 10 times often leads to stronger defenses and justification.
This is because our self-awareness functions like an efficient operating system, aimed at maintaining stability for the day.
However, seeing 30–40 success stories can completely shatter this self-awareness, reducing self-justification and enabling one to confront uncomfortable emotions.

2. Building a New Identity: Imagining New Armor

This involves reformatting your subconscious and installing a new mental operating system (discussed in 10x Mindset).

3. Overcoming Genetic Misfires: Crafting Armor with Superior Materials

The purpose of evolution is survival, not perfection.
For example, moths with poor vision historically flew toward moonlight to avoid predators.
Today, this same instinct causes them to fly into streetlights to their doom.
Similarly, ancient fears of exclusion or failure were tied to survival but now hinder modern success.

Conquering Genetic Errors and Psychological Fallacies

Ask yourself,
“Am I making this choice because of a genetic misfire?”
Overcome fears and rationalizations to make decisions aligned with your newly defined identity.
Every time you make a foolish decision, inoculate yourself with awareness, like applying a vaccine to prevent the same mistake again.