Scott Clary
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Apr 09 • 9 min read
Reality Is More Flexible Than You Think
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Reality Is More Flexible Than You ThinkMost people live as if the world is fixed. They accept circumstances as "just the way things are." They assume industries can't be disrupted. They believe systems are too entrenched to change. They see barriers as permanent rather than temporary. This mindset isn't just wrong. It's the single biggest limitation keeping you from creating the life, business, and impact you're capable of. Mark Andreessen, the founder of Netscape and legendary Silicon Valley venture capitalist, captured this perfectly: "The world is a very malleable place. If you know what you want, and you go for it with maximum energy and drive and passion, the world will often reconfigure itself around you much more quickly and easily than you would think." This isn't just inspirational fluff. It's a fundamental truth about how reality actually works. And once you understand it, everything changes. The Reality Distortion Field Is RealWhen Steve Jobs told his team the impossible needed to be done in five weeks rather than five months, they pushed back hard. It couldn't be done. The timeline was unrealistic. The limitations were too great. Jobs didn't budge. "Don't be afraid," he said. "You can do it." And somehow, they did. This happened so often that his team coined a term for it: the "reality distortion field." They meant it as a joke – Jobs' ability to convince people that the impossible was possible through sheer force of will. But here's what they missed: The distortion wasn't in Jobs' mind. It was in everyone else's. Jobs simply understood that most "impossible" things are merely difficult things no one has been stubborn enough to solve yet. What his team viewed as bending reality was actually just refusing to accept artificial limitations. The world is far more malleable than most people realize. Not because of magic, but because the barriers we perceive are largely constructions built from:
When you push against these barriers with enough force, they often dissolve more easily than you'd expect. Your Permission Isn't RequiredYou've been waiting for permission. Whether you realize it or not, there's something you want to build, create, or pursue – but you've been holding back until someone gives you the green light. You're not alone. Most people wait their entire lives for permission. Permission to start. Permission to lead. Permission to challenge the status quo. They assume success comes from following established paths and hitting predetermined milestones. Get the degree. Build the resume. Pay your dues. Wait your turn. But the people who reshape industries don't wait for permission. They take action while others are still waiting to be called on. Sara Blakely didn't ask the male-dominated undergarment industry if she could revolutionize shapewear. She just cut the feet off her pantyhose and created Spanx. Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia didn't ask hotel chains if they could turn spare bedrooms into accommodations. They just put air mattresses on their floor and created Airbnb. What would you do differently tomorrow if you stopped waiting for someone to tell you it's okay to proceed? Think about it. Really think. What idea, project, or career move would you immediately pursue? The most dangerous form of self-deception is believing that you need someone else's approval or authorization to pursue your vision. The world is malleable, but only for those willing to start reshaping it without an engraved invitation. The Muscle Behind MalleabilityAndreessen's quote contains a critical qualifier that most people miss. He doesn't say the world bends for anyone with a wish or a hope. He specifically says it reconfigures for those who pursue what they want "with maximum energy and drive and passion." This isn't about magical thinking. It's about applied force. Reality has inertia. It resists change. But that resistance isn't infinite – it's just enough to filter out the uncommitted. This filtering mechanism is actually a feature, not a bug. It ensures that the world only reconfigures around those who care enough to push through initial resistance. When Jan Koum was building WhatsApp, he was rejected by Facebook for a job. Five years later, Facebook acquired his company for $19 billion. The difference wasn't luck. It was persistence applied to a clear vision. The world tests your commitment before it yields. It asks: How badly do you want this? What are you willing to sacrifice? How long can you persist when results aren't immediate? Your answers to these questions determine whether reality will reconfigure around you or remain stubbornly fixed. Look at your current projects. Where are you applying casual effort and expecting significant results? Where have you backed off at the first sign of resistance? This isn't about judgment. It's about clarity. The path you're on right now is giving you exactly the results your current energy level deserves. The Paradox of ResistanceHere's something counterintuitive about how reality bends: Resistance isn't evidence that you're going in the wrong direction. Often, it's confirmation you're pushing on something worth changing. Think about it. If what you're attempting would make no meaningful difference, the world wouldn't bother to resist. Systems only defend themselves against genuine threats to the status quo. The pushback you're experiencing might be the strongest validation that you're onto something significant. I was struck by this when studying Richard Branson's early days building Virgin Atlantic. Every established airline and industry expert told him he would fail. Regulations were designed to keep newcomers out. Existing players actively worked to block his entry. This wasn't just bad luck. It was the system protecting itself. Had Branson interpreted this resistance as a sign he was on the wrong path, Virgin Atlantic would never have existed. What resistance are you facing right now that you've misinterpreted as a sign to retreat rather than advance? The obstacles in your path often aren't warnings. They're filters—separating those who want change from those who demand it. The Hidden Cost of Believing in Fixed RealityMost people never experience how malleable the world can be because they've internalized a fixed view of reality. This mental model creates a self-fulfilling prophecy:
The highest price you pay for seeing the world as fixed isn't the opportunities you miss – it's the person you never become. When you believe fundamental change is nearly impossible, you naturally dial back your ambitions. You "be realistic." You set "achievable goals." You focus on small improvements rather than big vision. This approach guarantees you'll never discover what's actually possible. The alternative isn't delusion. It's calculated boldness – testing assumptions about what can be changed rather than accepting them as fixed truths. The Reconfiguration FormulaIf the world is truly malleable, is there a formula for bending it to your vision? Based on studying those who've successfully reshaped reality, a pattern emerges: 1. Absolute clarity Vague intentions produce vague results. The world doesn't bend for fuzzy thinking. Those who successfully change reality can clearly state exactly what they want. Not just the outcome, but the reasoning, the values, and the non-negotiables. This clarity focuses their energy. Rather than splitting effort across many targets, they concentrate on specific points that matter. 2. Unwavering conviction The world pushes back against anyone trying to change it. This resistance filters out the casually interested from the truly committed. Those who successfully reshape reality maintain their conviction despite setbacks, skepticism, and slow progress. This isn't blind stubbornness. It's belief based on insight – seeing possibilities others miss because you've thought more deeply about the problem. 3. Disproportionate action The degree to which reality bends correlates directly with the amount of force applied. Those who reshape their world don't just work hard – they work with an intensity that makes others uncomfortable. They take action at a pace and scale that seems excessive to outside observers. This doesn't mean burnout or hustle culture. It means focused effort on what actually matters, not spreading yourself thin across a hundred small tasks. 4. Strategic positioning Reality doesn't bend equally in all directions. It has weak spots – places where less force can create bigger change. Those who successfully reshape their world develop a sense for these opportunities. They position themselves where new trends, unmet needs, and their unique skills overlap. This lets them create impact far beyond their direct effort. 5. Contagious energy No one bends reality entirely alone. Even the most determined individual has limits. Those who successfully reshape their world inspire others to join them. Their clarity, conviction, and action attract allies, resources, and opportunities. This turns personal force into team momentum. The Decision That Changes EverythingThe world has always been malleable to those willing to test its flexibility. From the Wright brothers proving flight was possible to Katherine Johnson calculating the mathematics that put humans on the moon. From Steve Jobs creating the smartphone to Greta Thunberg mobilizing millions for climate action. The people who reshape reality aren't fundamentally different from you. They've simply made a different decision about what's possible and what's worth pursuing with maximum energy. This decision is available to you right now. You can choose to see barriers as fixed or flexible. You can choose to accept conditions or challenge them. You can choose to work within existing frameworks or create new ones. Your perception of what's changeable directly determines what you can change. The greatest revolution isn't external but internal – the moment you realize that many of the limitations you've accepted exist only because everyone agrees they exist. The Malleable Future Waiting For YouSo where should you apply this understanding that the world is more flexible than it appears? Start with the constraints you've internalized as fixed:
Each of these beliefs deserves scrutiny. Not blind rejection, but careful examination. Is this truly an immovable reality, or simply a collective assumption no one has sufficiently challenged? Then ask yourself: What would I pursue if I truly believed Andreessen's observation that the world would reconfigure around my vision and energy? Not as a hypothetical exercise, but as a genuine question about what matters enough to warrant your maximum drive and passion. The answer might scare you. It should. Anything worth applying your full force toward should feel somewhat intimidating. But remember – the world is far more malleable than most people ever discover. The barriers that seem solid often dissolve when pushed against with enough determination. Your Next Step (The Only One That Matters)Theory without action is just entertainment. So here's your immediate next step: Identify one "immovable" constraint in your business or life that you've been accepting without question. Just one. Tomorrow, take a specific action that assumes this constraint is flexible. It doesn't have to be dramatic – just a meaningful step that would make no sense if the limitation were truly fixed. Maybe it's reaching out to someone "unreachable." Perhaps it's setting a deadline that seems "impossible." Or proposing a solution others would call "unrealistic." This single action won't reshape your entire reality. But it will start training the most important muscle you have – your ability to test rather than accept the boundaries others take for granted. As Mark Andreessen reminds us, reality will reconfigure itself around you "much more quickly and easily than you would think." The only question is whether you'll test this truth or continue living as if the world is fixed. The choice is yours. And it changes everything. Thank you for reading. – Scott Other Partners (They Have Some Special Offers For Readers.. Check Them Out)
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