What is it?
It’s a holiday that takes place in your mind and sometimes crosses over into the physical world. An instant state of emotional well-being induced by you, for you.
When is it?
November 17th, every year, around the world.
The History and Story Behind Beat the System Day:
“Beat the System Day” was first celebrated on November 17th, 2004. I was a sophomore in high school, and in my world history class we were assigned a group project. In groups of three we had to create an “epic play representing an ancient civilization”. (my teachers’ exact words) We had a month’s worth of in-class time to work on our plays and then on the 17th we would perform them in class. Naturally with my luck the other two guys in my group were Cannabis Enthusiasts (read: pot heads). In short I will say we spent exactly 0% of our allotted class time working on the project and about 100% of it goofing off.
So, eventually presentation day rolled around and we had nothing. Maybe it was because my partners were already on 3 different types of academic probation, or maybe it was because we didn’t want to fail, but for some reason my group threw a quick rap together that was loosely based on the trials and tribulations of the Roman Empire. Additionally, in a final act of chutzpah our group volunteered to go first. Paul rapped, I supplied a beat, and Tom stood next to us, doing absolutely nothing. After we finished, the class didn’t do anything, no applause, no laughing, nothing. Our teacher stood up and preceded to explain to the class why our group was to receive an A+ and why our performance should be a benchmark for all class efforts for the rest of the year. (He mumbled something about the project’s “brilliant marriage of historical knowledge and spontaneous improvisation”) In that moment, Beat the System Day was born.
How Does One Celebrate Beat The System Day?
When waking up on November 17th, tell yourself “Today is Beat the System Day! Whatever happens, happens. I claim this day for myself and promise to enjoy it in any way that I wish.”
If you’re a student, truancy isn’t encouraged, but it’s not discouraged either. if you want to skip a class and enjoy a nice long lunch with a friend, then so be it! You may find out the next day that your class was canceled and therefore you can rejoice in knowing that you beat the system. If your not a student, the same goes for you, except that I would make sure to call in to avoid a rare case of losing your job the system beating you.
Practical Application: If I were to go to my favorite used music store on BtS Day I can predict a few things: I wouldn’t worry about spending the money on a new CD (or two or three or four), and from those purchases I would probably discover an artist or album that blows my mind. I wouldn’t miss the money and would experience excellent, jubilant results.
Buy something for yourself, skip school or work to tell someone that you love them, take a day trip to your favorite spot, treat yourself to a meal at your favorite restaurant, or sit at home and don’t force yourself to exert one ounce of willpower for the entire day. Whatever you do on Beat The System Day, the key is to enjoy it and erase all consequential fear from your mind. Sit back as the system crumbles and you stand victorious on top of the rubble.