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In this Think It Through episode, Drs. Derek and Laura Cabrera of Cornell University break down a problem facing kids, college students, and professionals alike: what do you do when you do exceptional work—but the system only rewards strict compliance?

Using a real classroom story, workplace examples, and a surprisingly accurate metaphor involving “shit sliders,” they unpack how tiny acts of compliance—made over and over again—build up delayed psychological costs that shape your identity, agency, and long-term trajectory.

They explore why humans struggle with delay, how micro-choices create macro-outcomes, and why awareness—not rebellion—is the key to navigating bureaucratic systems without becoming a compliant, dimmed-down version of yourself.

If you’ve ever wondered when to play by the rules and when to push the envelope, this episode gives you the mental model to think it through—and choose wisely.