The Invisible Rules
By the end of this lesson, you can spot the invisible rules shaping your day.
The big idea
The world programs you by making its rules feel invisible.
A system is a set of rules that runs on its own. Most of the systems around us are so normal that we stop seeing them. Wake up at a set time. Buy now, pay later. Scroll before bed. Measure success by what other people can see. Nobody voted on most of these. We just picked them up.
That's why BERLO City exists. The city is a model of the system we live in: money, attention and rules. Behind every building is a business model, and behind every habit is a system.
Here's the good news from the book: programming isn't a prison. It's a starting point. Once you can see a rule, you can decide whether to keep following it.
3 stops in BERLO City
Tap "Go there" to fly straight to each stop. Answer the question before you move on.
1. The Treasury
- Look for
- Money: the vault at the center of the city
2. The screens
- Look for
- Attention: brands paying to be seen
3. City Hall
- Look for
- Rules: the laws everyone lives by
3 quick questions
Your real-life task
List five things you do every day without thinking. For each one, ask: "Who taught me this, and do I still want it?"
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