A Hacker’s Mindset.
Hacking is not sitting at a computer in a dark room and typing your way into a remote PC. Hacking is how you do Science.
What is Hacking?
Hacking is a term that originated in MIT in the late 1950’s in what was then called the Tech Model Railroad Club, where the term hack or hacking was used in terms of tinkering with machines in ways that surpass the user manual. The term hacking in itself is so exciting that those really interested in solving problems and bringing new ideas to life embrace the term hacking into disregarding the fact whether they are judged by the two-timers that break into other peoples computers for fun. Taking things apart and fixing them for purposes of improvement or better efficiency is what Hacking is all about.
Connection with History
Although the term hacking is relatively new, we have had hackers for generations in history. Nikola Tesla, Henry Ford even Isaac Newton and countless other great legendary scientists and innovators, who changed the course of our scientific understanding. These guys have spent their whole lives in unraveling the mysteries of the universe, coming up with solutions to the most difficult problems, inventing novelties that have not only stood the test of time, but have been celebrated over decades.
This hackers mindset is very evident in the most resourceful and innovative minds of every decade that has been a gift to humanity. But to cultivate such a mindset is not difficult, but very natural, we just lose our way living up to a certain society’s expectations (including our own).
The Recipe
Being a hacker or cultivating a hackers mindset is not just simple, but an effortless endeavour. All you have to do is be ready. That’s it. You have to be ready to be wrong. You have to be ready to screw up. You have to be ready to give up all your ego, all your pride and prejudice. you have to be ready to get your hands dirty. You have to be ready to grind it out. Just learn how to fall, fall gracefully, and humbly get up again and get to it.
Sounds easy doesn’t it? Not really. The most difficult part will come when you will have this huge ego standing in your way whenever you attempt something really new or challenging. Saying “Oh I know this” or “Oh this is too easy” or “This isn’t my cup of tea” or “This is really stupid” won’t help. The truth is:
You don’t know shit. But you sure as hell will figure it out.
The second part of this recipe is to get acquainted with your craft. Hacking doesn’t just relate to machines or electronics and computers. You can be a hacker no matter what you do. Make glass sculptures, paint, fix cars, design fountains,nobody cares. As long as you obsessively try to solve problems, and you are not afraid of failing and coming up with innovative solutions, you are a hacker.
The Obsessive want to explore your craft and become the best “whatever” in your field is the ultimate hacker’s dream. Not the money, not the fame, and not the “coolness” of anything. The people who break into other people’s computers are called crackers. Those who do it for a living are called Network Security Professionals. Hacking in general means the ingenuity of new solutions to potentially (un)solvable problems.
