Never trust a computer you can't throw out a window. — Steve Wozniak

Never trust a computer you can't throw out a window.

Author: Steve Wozniak

Insight: There's a practical wisdom buried in this joke about throwing computers out windows. Wozniak is really saying: never let yourself become dependent on a tool you don't understand or control. When a computer becomes so essential, so mysterious, or so locked down that losing it would devastate you, you've handed over too much power to something outside your hands. We live this tension constantly now. Your phone knows your location, your passwords, your private conversations—and if it breaks or gets seized or updates in a way that locks you out, you're genuinely stuck. Same with cloud services, subscription software, or social media accounts that hold years of your work. We trust these systems because we have to, not because we actually comprehend what they're doing or have real alternatives ready. The "throw it out a window" part captures something real: if a tool feels irreplaceable, you should be suspicious. The non-obvious angle is that this applies beyond technology. It's about any system—a job, a relationship, a habit—that's become so essential you'd panic if it disappeared. Real freedom isn't just about throwing things out windows. It's about maintaining enough independence and understanding that you could, if you needed to.