I've been gradually tweaking my MacBook Pro setup over the past few months. I've become a "power user" of sorts. I'm learning vim to navigate and edit text quicker. I do everything in my power not to touch the trackpad when performing basic, endlessly repeated tasks or motions because it's simply more efficient.
I disabled System Integrity Protection: the security babysitter feature Apple tries to scare you out of turning off, but if you understand what root access is, it's really not all that. I disabled SIP to install Yabai, a tiling window manager. I have it set up all exactly to my liking now. Quick, snappy access to all my spaces and windows without taking my hands off of the keyboard. If you're reading this and thinking: "This is just what Linux users do, you're using a Unix OS and customizing it to be utterly obtuse to the average computer user." you would be correct.
I've thought a lot about this compulsion a certain flavor of computer geek seems to possess, spending hours optimizing your environment, removing all inefficiencies and useless fluff that gets in your way so you can just do your work. The irony being that you could have spent this time, you know, doing your work. There's also the ultimate question of, like, to what end? Has anyone ever lamented their lack of digital efficiency on their deathbed? "I wish I spent more time configuring skhd to speed up my digital workflow by 2.5%." Maybe. I don't know.
I think, at its core, It's just fun to tinker with stuff. I do have genuine external motivations for setting things up in this way, of course, but I would be lying if I said I don't derive some amount of joy from the pure activity of optimizing my workspace. It's just a good time, and I think it's good to go through the process of setting up a comfortable digital space for you to work in, if you do a lot of that. It brings some personality back to the personal computer, something that has become increasingly sterile and lifeless. (This does not mean I want superfluous, sluggish animations forced on me, Apple.)
On that note, like many similarly annoying nerds, I find Apple's philosophy with regards to user control and customization to be deeply aggravating, but I will take this every single time over the unmitigated trash fire of a user experience Windows has become. I'll do absolutely anything but willingly use Windows at this point in my life. I know it seems like I should just switch to NixOS or something, I get it. But I've chained myself to Apple's (admittedly stellar) hardware and ecosystem for now. Check back in about 5 years.
Ultimately, if you enjoy the process of sharpening your axe, I think that's okay. Good, even! Just don't let it stop you from achieving the things you want to do, both digital and analog.
6/15/25