Hack me if you can
Reimagining the Philosophy of Life Through Hacking.
Every era has its revolution. From the wave of industrialization in the 19th century to the scientific, technological, and cultural booms of the 20th century, these were periods marked by monumental shifts and disruption. The 21st century is no exception, appearing poised to be the ultimate era of hacking.
Over time, the concept of hacking has evolved to become a universal philosophy. It's no longer just about illegally or maliciously infiltrating computer systems; it's about revolutionizing the very foundations of our society. We now speak of growth hacking, dream hacking, mind hacking, sense hacking, bio hacking... The notion of hacking has vastly outgrown its digital subculture roots to emerge as a standalone business model.
With this mindset, modern companies prioritize rapid innovation, embracing the relentless pace of hackers with accelerated iteration cycles to develop products and services. These "sprints" are designed to quickly create minimum viable products (MVPs) to immediately gather user feedback and tailor their offerings accordingly. Concurrently, the hacking model promotes market disruption, urging players to seek out and leverage systemic weaknesses to their advantage. By challenging established norms, these companies pave the way for innovative solutions that are often more efficient and cost-effective. In this approach, failure isn't shunned but seen as a stepping stone, with risks welcomed and every mistake treated as a learning opportunity.
Hacking has now infiltrated diverse areas such as communication and art, showcasing its versatility. Teens cleverly whisper in class using AirPods and Google Translate, while an artist challenges our reliance on digital data by generating fake traffic jams on Google Maps with a cart full of smartphones. Meanwhile, Oatly is revolutionizing marketing campaigns with deliberate spam tactics, shaking up conventions to engage consumers with wit and insight.
This desire to redefine extends beyond the public sphere and reaches into the personal realm. Hacking, in its quest to push the boundaries of technology, can also serve to reaffirm and enrich the human experience at its most fundamental. Entrepreneur Bryan Johnson exemplifies this shift with his ambitious project to 'hack' the aging process. At the other end of the spectrum, 'sense hacking'—as explored by Professor Charles Spence of the University of Oxford in his book—shows how hacking can penetrate our innermost being: it's no longer just about revolutionizing industries but about reshaping our sensory experiences. In practice, this means enhancing our happiness and health by learning to better harness our senses. Whether it’s creating soothing soundscapes, using essential oils to boost mood, engaging in 'dopamine dressing' to influence our state of mind, caring for our skin to strengthen emotional connections, or rediscovering food through foraging, all these activities represent a form of 'self-hacking'.
For beneath its many guises, hacking acts as a catalyst for a society obsessed with the idea of pushing its boundaries while reclaiming its origins, its primal nature. This is why, even amidst hyperconnectivity, we yearn for moments of disconnection: against the backdrop of the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) that dictates our daily lives, the NOMO (Necessity Of Missing Out) is never far behind... It's for this reason that as AI drives us towards a quest for perfection, we seek imperfection as a reminder of our humanity.
From the conquest of the infinite to the (re)discovery of the finite, from the boldness of innovation to the wisdom of introspection: hacking continues to draw from the human paradox, history's most powerful agent of change.
MD