Who Made These Rules... And Why Are You Obeying Them?

Work hard.
Get good grades.
Find a “safe” job with benefits.
Save 10% of every paycheck.
Buy a house you can barely afford.
Grind for 40 years.
Retire at 65.

That’s the playbook, right?

It’s so baked into your life that you probably don’t even question it.
You just assume this is what success looks like, because it’s what everyone around you is doing.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth:
Most of these “rules” weren’t designed for you.

They were designed for systems.
For companies, schools, and governments to keep functioning smoothly.

They weren’t built for freedom. They were built for predictability.

So let me ask you:
Who made these rules?
And why are you still playing by them?

The Default Playbook

Most people don’t realize they’re following a script.

It starts early.
Sit still. Raise your hand. Color inside the lines.
Get good grades, or you’ll never get into college.

Then it evolves:
Pick a “respectable” career.
Work hard. Don’t question your boss.
Save 10% of every paycheck.
Buy a house, even if it traps you in debt for 30 years.
Grind until you’re 65, then enjoy life while your back hurts and your energy’s gone.

It’s a neat little playbook.
Safe. Predictable.

And it works for some people.

But here’s the question no one asks:

If this path was truly the formula for success…
Why do so many people who follow it feel stuck?

The truth is, this script wasn’t designed to maximize your potential.

It was designed to minimize risk for everyone else.
For schools that need compliant students.
For companies that need predictable employees.
For banks that need long-term debt holders.

The rules aren’t evil. But they were never written for someone who wants to play a bigger game.

And until you see that, you’ll keep wondering why you’re doing “everything right” but still feel like something’s missing.

Why the Rules Exist

The rules you grew up with didn’t fall from the sky.

They were designed (intentionally or not) to keep society predictable.

Think about it:

• Schools weren’t built to create independent thinkers.
  They were built to produce reliable workers who could sit at a desk for 8 hours and follow instructions without asking too many questions.

• Banks didn’t start telling you to buy a house because it’s “the ultimate investment.”
  They said it because 30-year mortgages lock people into decades of debt and predictable monthly payments.

• Even retirement advice like “save 10% and enjoy life at 65” wasn’t designed for people who want freedom earlier.
  It’s a relic from an era where there were no other options.

The systems aren’t evil.
But they were never designed for someone like you. Ambitious, restless, unwilling to settle.

They were built to manage the average.
To keep the wheels turning for governments, corporations, and economies.

If you keep blindly following these scripts, they’ll keep you average too.

Breaking the Scripts

Here’s the good news:
You don’t have to burn your life to the ground to escape the rules.

You just need to start noticing them.

The moment you become aware of the scripts you’re following, you take back control.

Step 1: Spot the Script

Start with a simple question:

“Am I doing this because I chose it… or because I was told I should?”

Most people don’t realize how much of their life is running on autopilot.

• Go to college → because “that’s what successful people do”

• Buy a house → because “renting is throwing money away”

• Work hard → because “hard work always pays off” (even when you’re working on the wrong things)

Spend 15 minutes today writing down the big “shoulds” in your life.
You’ll be surprised how many of them aren’t yours.

Step 2: Audit the Rules

For each “rule” you’ve been following, ask:

• Who benefits if I believe this?

• What happens if I stop playing by it?

• What’s the cost of staying on this path for 5 more years?

Examples:

• “You need a degree to earn well.”
  Who benefits: universities, student loan providers.
  Reality: high-income creators, freelancers, and business owners exist everywhere without one.

• “Retire at 65.”
  Who benefits: corporations with long-term employees.
  Reality: you can design freedom much earlier by building digital leverage now.

• “Work harder, not smarter.”
  Who benefits: employers who get more hours for the same salary.
  Reality: leverage beats effort every time.

Step 3: Write Your Own Playbook

We’re not saying that you should reject every single rule. Rather, you should choose the ones that actually serve your goals.

Start small:

• Replace “Save 10%” with “Build a $500/month side income and invest it.”

• Replace “Retire at 65” with “Design freedom at 35.”

• Replace “Work 40 years for security” with “Build assets that pay me while I sleep.”

You don’t need a revolution overnight.
You need one move that shifts you from follower to creator.

Hard Truths

Most people who read this won’t change a thing.

Not because they’re lazy. Not because they don’t care.
But because they’re too comfortable in the scripts they’ve been handed.

It’s easier to keep showing up to the same job, making the same excuses, following the same advice everyone else follows.

Safe. Predictable. Average.

But here’s the part no one tells you:
The default path isn’t as safe as you think.

Breaking these scripts isn’t easy.
It requires saying no to things you were taught to worship.
It means building something for yourself instead of waiting for permission.

And most people aren’t willing to do it.

But if you’re reading this and feel even a flicker of restlessness?

That’s your signal.

Today’s Move

Before the day ends, grab a pen and write this down:

1. List 3 “rules” you’ve been living by without questioning them.

2. For each one, ask: Does this serve me… or is it keeping me average?

3. Rewrite one of them into a rule that actually fits the life you want.

Momentum doesn’t come from thinking. It comes from starting.

Closing Thought

You can’t win a game when you’re playing by rules you didn’t choose.

Most people never stop long enough to ask if the life they’re building is even theirs.

Start rewriting your playbook now, before life writes it for you.

And pay attention.
I’m putting together something that will help you break out of these scripts for good. More soon.

Talk again soon,

Alex, founder of The Capital Circle