To me, the hacker mindset is essentially a mental fortitude and resilience that manifests itself as audacious conviction - an absolute certainty that there is a way. One must believe that they are capable of anything, and that if they stick at something for long enough, try hard enough, exhaust every avenue, then they will surely overcome any obstacles, no matter how impossible it may seem at first.
Computer systems are inherently vulnerable - from the now ancient protocols underlying our modern network infrastructure to the hardware that everything is built with. Everything is vulnerable, everything has a weak point, there is an ingenious solution to every seemingly impractical idea. I’m told that physics is much the same - the most innovative and mind bending theorems often defy initial logic. This is the way.
A hacker learns through positive reinforcement. A system is exploited. Privileges are escalated. Loot is extracted. Each victory fueling further exploration and yet greater conquests. The most satisfying and the most impressive of which are the niche and arcane. The Snowden leaks revealed many spy programs - ingenious hacks - all of which had mythic and heroic names like MUSCULAR, BULLRUN, GILGAMESH, IRONCHEF… emanating a sense of pride and artistic vigor.
The best thing about learning to be a hacker is that you can now take that same mentality and apply it to all areas of your life. There is always a way. In some sense, that’s inspiring - and that profound optimism gives us hope. One realizes that solving a difficult task can be its own reward. But one should take care not to crawl into rabbit holes or run face first into dead ends. Sometimes the answer is ‘No’ and that’s okay - if you have to move on, do it fast. Be decisive, don’t dwell on the past. Being a hacker is knocking on every door and going from there. If one opens, great - see what’s inside. If nothing budges, maybe it needs a kick. And not every door is worth walking through.
To my hackers - there are no limits. Grow. Accelerate. The only barrier is you. Always remember - there are yet taller mountains to climb. Step by step, and then you’re there. And then go further.