This is such a necessary foundation for creative individuals to understand. Your story is your own—playing by others’ rules is one way we sell our voice to oppressive systems. Very well explained and powerfully said!
Thank you, OBA! That's true for sure. Rules can be good, but too often we follow them heedlessly , without question anything. And thats the only reason why the rules still stand. That's why it's ever so important to name these rules and learn what they are, why they exist.
I used to be a big defender of 4, till I accepted that originality is a selective form of artistic thievery, to which you add a unique element that only you can contribute.
7 is another one I believed in, and I'm slowly coming around to change.
It's truly amazing how you can create things that start earning as soon as you can ship the work out, and with the little breathing room it gives you, you can keep building new things and partnerships.
I'm seeing more of that code vibing, and getting curious about it.
It's only ever been possible at this age, at this point in time. That's why we need to jump into the water and start swimming! There's so much opportunity being left behind.
I'm interested in seeing if vibe coding could be combined with something like Unreal Engine for gaming and storytelling. Do you know of anyone doing this? Or experimenting with it?
#2: Perfectionism becomes a trap when it’s driven by fear of failure, judgment, or not being complete, and results in endless rework. Trying to be as perfect as possible does has its purpose, in high-stakes situations, in establishing credibility, in making the first fail-safe impression, and when perfection is a requirement. It needs to be intentional.
#5 rule - The rule is not about being pure human or not, rather it is about what you are after. If you are externally after consumable output, if you must be in a performative mode, or if you have to impress, by all means make AI your best amplifier. If you are internally after experiential learning, instant-on Type-II thinking intuition, or emergent expertise that only 10,000-hour grind gives you, then know AI can work against you, or make you a less authentically pure human. The intentionality used to be an after thought; now it is a required rule.
Very well said, Tao. I agree, I have coded that into my philosophy, I call it "layers of augmentation". It can vary from person to person, but everyone has a core (a place that AI shouldn't touch -- your core beliefs, personal stances, etc.), a place for AI to enhance, and a place that AI can take over entirely.
In actuality, of course, output for results and growth for personal development are not always mutually exclusive, as they feed into each other (the performative benefits provide means and space for broader self-growth and richer rewarding, even existence itself; the personal growth allows for more satisfying and sustainable performance, etc.). The pursuits are always multi-objective in nature for conscious minds.
What changed since November 2022 is that AI now “invades” people’s head in an invisible the tug-of-war. It is implicit: if you lean too hard on AI, you may lose the chance to grow through hands-on experience; if you do not use it, you fall behind peers who use it to outpace with a whole new speed, scale, and force. It is insidious because the surrogacy for reasoning, creativity, and problem-solving is so seamles, unlike the search engine, that it can make the unsuspecting unconsciously atrophy their basic skills. You may even find yourself wondering: Is that the sense from me, or is that the sense from AI?
In a nutshell, the invisible integration of AI begs the question of how our instincts, embedded in our psychological DNA as resilient yet socially interdependent nomads, may shift into fragile brain-machine dependents.
Without explicitly surfacing and governing it, it is hard to stay true to self and maintain a basic integrity as human. That is why cognitive intentionality is in far greater need than ever before. And it is also why your three-layered framework is so fitting and timely: The untoucable core, the enhanceable, the automatable. I’d also argue it should be treated as a must-have constraint when making decisions on any variables of human endeavor.
Couldn't have said it better myself, Tao! I try to apply the framework in more than just writing, I find the layers of augmentation philosophy applies wherever you're using a pretty powerful tool to express.
This is refreshing and so inspiring to read! Challenging outdated rules and beliefs that hinder mission-driven creators and founders is the way forward. I can relate a lot that the real power lies in owning one’s own rules and allowing one’s unique voice to lead the way.
Nicely put 👏🏼
Thank you, Farida!
Well said 👍
Thank you!!!
This is such a necessary foundation for creative individuals to understand. Your story is your own—playing by others’ rules is one way we sell our voice to oppressive systems. Very well explained and powerfully said!
Thank you, OBA! That's true for sure. Rules can be good, but too often we follow them heedlessly , without question anything. And thats the only reason why the rules still stand. That's why it's ever so important to name these rules and learn what they are, why they exist.
This is a true post.
I used to be a big defender of 4, till I accepted that originality is a selective form of artistic thievery, to which you add a unique element that only you can contribute.
7 is another one I believed in, and I'm slowly coming around to change.
It's truly amazing how you can create things that start earning as soon as you can ship the work out, and with the little breathing room it gives you, you can keep building new things and partnerships.
I'm seeing more of that code vibing, and getting curious about it.
It's only ever been possible at this age, at this point in time. That's why we need to jump into the water and start swimming! There's so much opportunity being left behind.
I agree. It feels like exponential chances to create and build.
It really is. I plan to learn something soon, whether vibe coding or using no-code tools.
Share your takeaways from this. I am going to look into vibe coding.
What are you trying to build? Or are you still looking for ideas? Maybe that's what you can feature in your September spotlight 😆
I'm interested in seeing if vibe coding could be combined with something like Unreal Engine for gaming and storytelling. Do you know of anyone doing this? Or experimenting with it?
#2: Perfectionism becomes a trap when it’s driven by fear of failure, judgment, or not being complete, and results in endless rework. Trying to be as perfect as possible does has its purpose, in high-stakes situations, in establishing credibility, in making the first fail-safe impression, and when perfection is a requirement. It needs to be intentional.
Agreed. Perfectionism and conscientiousness are two sides of the same coin.
#5 rule - The rule is not about being pure human or not, rather it is about what you are after. If you are externally after consumable output, if you must be in a performative mode, or if you have to impress, by all means make AI your best amplifier. If you are internally after experiential learning, instant-on Type-II thinking intuition, or emergent expertise that only 10,000-hour grind gives you, then know AI can work against you, or make you a less authentically pure human. The intentionality used to be an after thought; now it is a required rule.
Very well said, Tao. I agree, I have coded that into my philosophy, I call it "layers of augmentation". It can vary from person to person, but everyone has a core (a place that AI shouldn't touch -- your core beliefs, personal stances, etc.), a place for AI to enhance, and a place that AI can take over entirely.
In actuality, of course, output for results and growth for personal development are not always mutually exclusive, as they feed into each other (the performative benefits provide means and space for broader self-growth and richer rewarding, even existence itself; the personal growth allows for more satisfying and sustainable performance, etc.). The pursuits are always multi-objective in nature for conscious minds.
What changed since November 2022 is that AI now “invades” people’s head in an invisible the tug-of-war. It is implicit: if you lean too hard on AI, you may lose the chance to grow through hands-on experience; if you do not use it, you fall behind peers who use it to outpace with a whole new speed, scale, and force. It is insidious because the surrogacy for reasoning, creativity, and problem-solving is so seamles, unlike the search engine, that it can make the unsuspecting unconsciously atrophy their basic skills. You may even find yourself wondering: Is that the sense from me, or is that the sense from AI?
In a nutshell, the invisible integration of AI begs the question of how our instincts, embedded in our psychological DNA as resilient yet socially interdependent nomads, may shift into fragile brain-machine dependents.
Without explicitly surfacing and governing it, it is hard to stay true to self and maintain a basic integrity as human. That is why cognitive intentionality is in far greater need than ever before. And it is also why your three-layered framework is so fitting and timely: The untoucable core, the enhanceable, the automatable. I’d also argue it should be treated as a must-have constraint when making decisions on any variables of human endeavor.
Couldn't have said it better myself, Tao! I try to apply the framework in more than just writing, I find the layers of augmentation philosophy applies wherever you're using a pretty powerful tool to express.
Nice, James. This really resonates with me.
Thanks, Luan. It’s an important topic.
I’ve been believing in 7 for a good long time, it’s a built-in trait for Asian kids and hard to shake off. Glad to see your discussion about it here.
I know exactly what you mean. And thank you, I believe it's important to talk about.
This is refreshing and so inspiring to read! Challenging outdated rules and beliefs that hinder mission-driven creators and founders is the way forward. I can relate a lot that the real power lies in owning one’s own rules and allowing one’s unique voice to lead the way.
Thanks for sharing! :)
Thanks, Alexandra! Thats the mission. Help people make new rules for themselves, while breaking old ones. :D