Letter V: The Law of Functional Disobedience
Break what no longer serves you.
Welcome to the Fifth edition of The Pulse!
In this letter, we'll explore, a new idea.
An idea that challenges rules that no longer serve you.
Things that are drowning you daily, pulling you down without you even realising.
So, let's dive right in.
The Invisible Hand of “Should”
It's a constant cycle, a loop that we've all been a part of..
And what is it?
It's that subtle feeling that “oh I am behind..”,
it's there not because you’re lazy, not because you aren't talented, or not artistic enough but because somewhere, somehow, a script was planted in you, that constant comparison everyone draws from social media, and various other sources.
One that quietly whispers:
“I should be further along.”
“I should be more productive.”
“I should do it the way it’s always been done.”
But that’s not clarity, it's merely buffed up noise, saying that there's only “one” sure fire way to do anything is utter stupidity.
Nothing but hollow advice, that you are absorbing on a daily basis, and I did too in the past.
And the scary part is that most of it isn’t yours, it's not your intuition, but rather a fabricated version of others voices projected onto you.
But I'll say that none of us are actually lost: we’re just too obedient to maps made for someone else’s destination.
And that's something you should break out of, or at least try to, in that pursuit of your own potential you'll always become better in the best way possible.
This is not rebellion for rebellion’s sake.
This is to not allow yourself to be guided by the rules that are no longer relevant.
This is what I call: Functional Disobedience.
1) Systems Are Built for Maintenance, Not Betterment
Take a good look around.
Most systems: whether it’s your school, corporations weren’t built to elevate people.
They were built to keep things running. Efficient. Predictable. Replaceable.
They only ensure maintenance.
But you weren’t.
You weren’t born to tick off boxes or chase a to-do list until retirement.
You’re here to grow. To reshape. To do something that actually matters to you.
That first and foremost adds value to your own life.
But how can you even get clear on what matters…when your attention is scattered across several tabs, three apps, and a hundred micro-decisions per hour?
For quite sometime now we've been trained to equate visibility with value.
But the truth is, betterment happens in silence.
Juggling multiple things at once isn't something to be proud of. It’s a system glitch.
Focus is the upgrade.
And functional disobedience begins the moment you pause and ask:
“Who is this system actually serving?”
“Do I want to keep serving it?”
“What if I just… rewrote it?”
Galileo didn’t break convention to be a nuisance.
He observed. He questioned. He was precise.
He didn’t need noise: he needed accuracy.
And similarly, you don’t need to be loud either.
All you need is a spark of inspiration, and gentle nudge of clarity.
And the clearer you get, the more systems you’ll outgrow.
2) Obedience Has a Hidden Cost
Obedience feels safe.
Until it erodes your ability to think for yourself.
It’s subtle at first:
Creators following trends they secretly hate.
Teams using metrics no one respects.
People grind harder and harder, scared to ask if it’s even worth it.
You obey long enough…
You forget how to ask: “Is this actually working?”
But here’s the twist most people miss -
Obedience isn’t just mental. It’s chemical.
Every shallow task, every endless notification… triggers a dopamine hit.
Not because it’s meaningful, but because it’s easy.
And slowly, that chemical loop rewires your focus.
You start craving stimulation over clarity.
Comfort over curiosity.
This is similar to slave morality.
It’s inherited programming based on fear, conformity, and permission-seeking.
But if you’re trying to build something real…
That kind of obedience will kill your originality.
Comfort is the reward systems give you.
But it’s also the leash.
3)When to Break the Rules (And How to Know You’re Right)
Look, not every rule needs breaking.
But a lot of them do.
The secret knowing which ones, and when.
Disobedience without discernment is just chaos.
But functional disobedience?
That’s strategy.
You know a rule is ready to be broken when:
You’re told “this is how it’s always been done” - but it feels dead inside.
You feel most alive doing it “wrong.”
The outcome speaks louder than the process.
The process drains your attention more than it delivers value.
And here’s a little test:
If the thing you’re doing only works when you’re caffeinated, overstimulated, and multitasking like a lunatic…
It’s not working. It’s coping.
You’re not just here to follow scripts.
You’re here to write your own.
Most people don’t need better calendars.
They need better attention.
If you want to create something original?
You’ll have to get bored again.
Because boredom is where your mind stops chasing… and starts building.
4) The Builder Who Bent Reality
Let’s talk a little bit about someone who didn’t obey.
Someone whose name is carved in the history of the world: Alexander the Great!
He faced the same military tactics that had been used for centuries: The Phalanx formations, those Predictable cavalry charges, and Conventional siege warfare.
But Alexander asked:
“What if we didn’t fight this way?”
“And maybe these rules were never mine to follow."
He deeply believed that he was descended from Achilles, son of Zeus (greek god).
And that he had divine favour, and was meant to conquer the world with or without its consent.
He wasn’t just a rebel of convention.
He was a rebel of limitation and distraction.
He didn’t need to follow the proven methods, he carved his own path.
He needed to win but with clarity.
So he created something new, something unconventional: combined arms tactics. Mobile warfare. Psychological intimidation.
His disobedience wasn’t loud.
It was strategic, precise.
He didn’t follow systems that didn’t serve his goals.
And he didn’t ask for permission to build better ones either, “he just did it”.
And what transpired after, became his legacy, etched to his name.
He conquered most of the known world by the age of 30.
Not by following the rulebook.
But by being relentless, and
By rewriting it.
5) Applying Functional Disobedience in Modern Work
Let’s bring it back to you, back to “now”.
Because here’s the truth: you don’t need another app yelling at you to “stay productive.”
You don’t need to track all of your keystrokes.
What you really need is something that flows with your power, sails in your direction.
And not something that goes against it or replaces it.
You don’t need tools that automate conformity.
You need ones that amplify intentionality.
You can try this four-step loop to practice functional disobedience, every single day ( you should include steps that feel right to you, add or subtract based on what you deep down feel is right for you):
1. Spot the Friction
Take ten minutes to name one task, tool, or rule that feels off.
Ask: why does this even exist? Legacy? Habit? Someone else’s preference?
2. Question the Assumption
Ask: “What if we didn’t do it this way?”
Write the fear that’s keeping you compliant. Then challenge it.
3. Prototype a Better Way
Try to run micro-experiments: replace fast mornings with slow ones, rushing with calmness, and choas with peace.
Do one hour of deep work with no music, no noise. Just deep focus.
4. Own the New Rule
If it works, lock it in. If not, tweak it, or define a new rule, you don't need anyone's permission.
Every week, find at least one more friction point, and evolve it.
This is how you break the rules with grace,
This is how you bend systems without blowing them up.
And this is how you actually build something that has value.
Final Truths, and Tidbits
You are not here to obey.
You are here to observe.
To challenge.
To build something better.
Functional disobedience is not loud.
It is not reckless.
It is a quiet decision made in a loud, overstimulated world:
“This no longer serves. I’ll build something that does.”
Because the future doesn’t belong to those who follow perfectly.
It belongs to those who follow consciously:
who redraw the map and rewrite their lives.
This is The Law of Functional Disobedience.
As always, thanks for reading, and I’ll see you in the next one ^^
Best wishes,
Abhishek Tiwari