fitness
💡 Is the System Rigged against you?
People often blame “the system” for why they haven’t achieved the life they want. And in some cases, this is a fair point — systems do create barriers. But it’s also one of the most dangerous limiting beliefs a person can hold, because millions of people have risen from brutal starting points and still found success. Lets discover if the system is rigged against you.
First allow me to introduce myself. I’m Matt Flavell, the founder of Boxing Evolution Ltd, where for over 15 years, I’ve dedicated myself to reshaping 1000’s of people’s lives helping them reach their full potential, through the power of boxing, underpinned by teaching the psychology of success and mentorship.
To understand what’s really holding you back, you need a clear picture of what “the system” actually is, how it operates, and how much of your outcome is shaped by personal responsibility versus environmental influence. Only then can you move from frustration to strategy — and begin playing the game with intelligence instead of emotion.
🏛️ Systems and Gatekeepers
A system is simply a structured method of organising people, processes, knowledge, and power. Whether it’s the education system, the financial system, the legal system, or the corporate world, each one exists to create predictable outcomes and manage complexity.
But systems also create limitations:
- High financial barriers
- Assessment methods that favour certain personalities
- Limited geographic access
- Time demands many people can’t meet
Eventually, though, every system comes down to one thing: human decision-making. And this is where gatekeepers appear.
Gatekeepers are the people who decide who gets access — employers, teachers, influencers, managers, investors, administrators, selectors and in todays technological world – Algorithms (slightly different topic though but relevant).
People often assume their decisions are based on discrimination or malice, but the truth is usually far less dramatic:
👉 Humans favour people who are similar to them
👉 Humans reward those who make them feel comfortable
👉 Humans promote those who make them look good
👉 Humans give opportunities to people who bring them value
This isn’t evil — it’s psychology.
Things such as DEI policies and quotas were created to counter bias, but these same policies can unintentionally reinforce the belief that people are powerless unless a system compensates for them. This mindset breeds resentment, entitlement, and blame-shifting via projection instead of self-improvement.
#Key take away: Gatekeepers aren’t your enemy — they’re just human, and once you understand their psychology you gain the power to beat the system
Research at how gatekeeping shapes acceptance or rejection within scientific disciplines — a reminder that gatekeepers decide who gets legitimacy.. Read the full study here.
🎭 Human Nature, Not Human Evil
The moment you accept that all systems are run by imperfect humans with biases, blind spots and emotional triggers, you gain a tremendous advantage. You start to operate with clarity instead of emotional reactivity. You see the world as it is, not how you want it to be.
People who rise through systems aren’t just the smartest or most talented — they’re the ones who understand people.
👉 Confidence influences decisions.
👉 Charisma opens doors.
👉 Social proof changes perception.
👉 Persuasion and communication outperform raw skill alone.
Every system is imperfect — so stop expecting fairness and start learning navigation. This is the shift that turns victims into strategists.
🧠 Before You Assume Malice — Understand Human Error
There’s one other very important factor to consider.
A huge number of failure’s in the system come down to incompetence, not discrimination.
👉 Managers skim applications.
👉 Teachers misjudge students.
👉 Administrators forget emails.
👉 Employers overlook talent out of sheer disorganisation.
👉 Gatekeepers get overwhelmed and inconsistent.
Most people aren’t plotting against you — they’re simply not very good at their job.
This understanding is liberating, because once you stop interpreting setbacks personally, you stop wasting energy on resentment — and start focusing on strategy. You learn to position yourself better, communicate more effectively, build trust, and handle people with intelligence.
The economic system - capitalism
To understand why success feels so unevenly distributed, you need to examine the larger system we all live inside: capitalism.
Capitalism shapes almost every aspect of modern life — from how we earn money to how we think about value, status, competition and opportunity. It creates extraordinary freedom in some areas, and incredibly high barriers in others. Understanding these dynamics gives you a far more accurate lens on why some people rise and others feel stuck.
Capitalism is built on private ownership, free markets, and the idea that competition drives progress. At its best, it creates innovation, rewards creativity, and gives individuals the freedom to build their own future. You can start a business from nothing, create a unique skillset, or solve a problem so well that the world happily pays you for it. Entire industries have been disrupted by individuals with a laptop, an idea, and relentless drive. In this way, capitalism can be the greatest opportunity engine ever created. But capitalism is also a game with uneven starting positions.
Fierce competition means millions of people are trying to achieve the same goals, access the same customers, or get into the same job roles. Those with existing wealth have access to tools, training, networks and safety nets that make success easier. Meanwhile, large corporations often dominate their industries, making it incredibly difficult for smaller players to compete or even be seen. This creates the illusion that the system is “rigged,” because the gap between new entrants and established giants is so huge.
It is important to note that there are many who are vocal opponents to the capitalist system, with the most notable voice in history being that of Karl Marx. He advocated for a different system that took the means of production out of private entities and into the states hands, with the wealth being distributed evenly amongst the people.
However the same rules of human nature still took hold and this resulted in a dictatorial ruling class with a poverty stricken general population.
The point being with mentioning this is not to have a debate over which system is best, but to realise the importance of understanding how working within human nature and psychology plays an important part for success in any area.
The attributes that determine what makes someone successful and achieve their full potential will always apply. Life will always be competitive but the good news is these attributes are learnable and can begin to be applied to your life the instant you learn them.
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Final thought
The system isn’t perfectly fair — it never has been, and it never will be. But unfair does not mean unwinnable. Every generation has people who break through the same obstacles others blame for their failure. The difference isn’t luck, privilege or destiny — it’s perspective.
Some see barriers and stop.
Others see barriers and start climbing.
Systems may influence your starting position, but your mindset, strategy and willingness to grow determine how far you go. Once you understand human nature, stop taking setbacks personally, and learn to navigate the world as it really operates, you stop waiting for fairness — and start creating your own openings.
The system is only “rigged” if you let it be.
Once you take responsibility for your path, build the skills the world actually rewards, and learn to move intelligently through the structures around you, you stop being a piece on the board…
…and become the one playing the game
The Matrix of perception
Capitalism is often presented as the system — the beginning and end of how modern society is organised. But in reality, capitalism is only the economic layer of a far larger architecture of control, governance, and influence that shapes the modern world. It’s an interconnected network of different systems that work together to maintain control over the populace and maintain existing power structures. The economic system provides the foundation of the control system, but for it to function effectively it requires people to buy into the system.
This means that people’s perceptions around what life is actually about, what they should be striving for, but most importantly – what people are really capable of in terms of our potential, needs to be managed so that they still buy into the system, don’t question it too much and remain governable.
This combination of systems which include the education system, the media, entertainment industries, and even social media algorithms come in. These are the tools used to craft narratives, shape beliefs, and engineer consent. They teach people what success looks like, what’s desirable, what to fear, and what to avoid. This is what many people refer to as the ‘Matrix’
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