Do you recognize the pattern? In my 20s I was cocksure of myself. Optimistic, fully determined, with long-term plans. By my 30s… I felt beat up and spat out by a world of confusion. Now in my 40s I watch society enter a time of accelerating uncertainty with two possible outcomes: A golden age of opportunity — any lifestyle you desire.
Or robotic dystopia — addiction to artificial dopamine stimulation. A golden age of opportunity — any lifestyle you desire. Or robotic dystopia — addiction to artificial dopamine stimulation. Everything hangs by a thread. The Deciding Factor? What does a career path look like now? AI is eating the world of work. What does a family look like now? Hiding in the hills with a homegrown farm? What kind of positive impact can we make if robots produce all our goods… governments control our money… and AI creates our information... How do we thread the needle? In my 20s I was proud to produce courses online about planning and organization. I published The 7 Steps of Organizing, The Life Direction Clarifier, The InstaTime Natural Time Management System, The Folderarchy System for Life Management Using A Computer, and so on. Customers loved them. My work had impact. I hit a wall when the Chairman of the company I worked for as Head of Marketing challenged me to take down my websites. My side business made me better at marketing his company. But he saw it as disloyal distraction. I held to my conviction and said no. They'd created a barrier between my professional life of marketing data solutions and my personal passion of helping people clarify their life direction. That experience left a bad taste in my mouth. I no longer felt I could be myself among colleagues. I couldn't commit emotionally if they would curtail my interests and didn't respect or value my multi-layered personality. To be a corporate drone, a man in a suit, just another “high-performing member of the company family”. I realized company cultures can be toxic. Today: Only 30% of employees globally feel engaged at work (CultureBot 2025)—lowest in over a decade.
45% cite toxic work environments as top reason for quitting (Ujji).
65% report feeling burnt out at least once weekly, up from 48% in 2023 (Ujji). Only 30% of employees globally feel engaged at work (CultureBot 2025)—lowest in over a decade. CultureBot 2025 45% cite toxic work environments as top reason for quitting (Ujji). Ujji 65% report feeling burnt out at least once weekly, up from 48% in 2023 (Ujji). Ujji Now companies are downsizing — point blank firing large amounts of people at once — due to AI automation. The kicker? In many cases those AI automations were built and set up by the very people who then get downsized. A kick to the gut. Are we living in a twilight zone of upside down realities? Losing our grasp on empathic human inclusion just because machines can make things faster to squeeze another ounce of corporate profit for a handful few shareholders? I’m not anti-Capitalism. But I am pro-human. 6 months into 2025 the US alone has seen: 342 mass tech company layoffs impacting 78,000 people with "491 people losing their jobs to AI every single day" (Final Round AI).
At Microsoft: "30% of company code is now AI-written" while "over 40% of their recent layoffs targeted software engineers" (Final Round AI).
Anthropic’s CEO predicts: "AI could eliminate HALF of all entry-level white-collar jobs within five years" (Final Round AI). 342 mass tech company layoffs impacting 78,000 people with "491 people losing their jobs to AI every single day" (Final Round AI). Final Round AI At Microsoft: "30% of company code is now AI-written" while "over 40% of their recent layoffs targeted software engineers" (Final Round AI). Final Round AI Anthropic’s CEO predicts: "AI could eliminate HALF of all entry-level white-collar jobs within five years" (Final Round AI). Final Round AI This poignant meme captures the zeitgeist well: https://x.com/AuthorJMac/status/1773679197631701238?embedable=true https://x.com/AuthorJMac/status/1773679197631701238?embedable=true We are collectively entering an abyss of lost meaning… lost professional opportunity… lost personal relevance. Social platforms promised connection — but isolation has led to a new mental health crisis. Efficiency tools were supposed to free us from drudgery — but are simply replacing us. …and it will surely get worse before it gets better. Even if your job isn’t at risk (as far as you can see for now), many of your friends and family members jobs certainly are. By 2030: "70% of job skills will change" and "30% of all work hours could be automated within this decade" (Final Round AI).
"Between 400 million and 800 million individuals around the world could be displaced by automation and need to find new jobs by 2030" (McKinsey). "70% of job skills will change" and "30% of all work hours could be automated within this decade" (Final Round AI). Final Round AI "Between 400 million and 800 million individuals around the world could be displaced by automation and need to find new jobs by 2030" (McKinsey). McKinsey Recognize Your Pattern What you're experiencing isn't career confusion. It's not mid-life crisis. It's not imposter syndrome or lack of focus. It's your nervous system accurately detecting that the old game is ending. That restlessness you feel? That restlessness you feel? It’s not dissatisfaction with life. It’s pattern recognition that the life you were building was designed for a world that's disappearing. The sense that traditional success metrics feel hollow? The sense that traditional success metrics feel hollow? Well, they ARE hollow. That feeling you need to prepare for something but you're not sure what? That feeling you need to prepare for something but you're not sure what? You're sensing a transition that hasn't fully emerged yet. A transition that depends on what I call the 4 Horseman of the Singularity: Agency, Vitality, Synergy, and Levity. Literally, your mind and body needs to be clear and strong to process complex signals without getting overwhelmed — and you need the emotional energy and human network to pull off a masterful transition to survive and thrive in the imminent future. Glimmers of Hope Some corporate cultures are moving beyond fake empathy toward genuine human connection. Gen Z’ers seek workplaces that recognize human individuality, not just worker drone mentality. The choice isn't “human versus AI”. It's Human First with AI augmentation. Here’s what AI cannot replace: Connection: "Emotional depth and personal connection that resonates with audiences; Cultural nuance and context interpretation" (90 Degree Design).
Humanity: "Empathy and complex cognitive/communicative skills; Ethical reasoning and judgment" (AI Content FY).
Positivity: "69% of Gen Z employees prefer a positive company culture over a high paycheck" (Ujji). Connection: "Emotional depth and personal connection that resonates with audiences; Cultural nuance and context interpretation" (90 Degree Design). 90 Degree Design Humanity: "Empathy and complex cognitive/communicative skills; Ethical reasoning and judgment" (AI Content FY). AI Content FY Positivity: "69% of Gen Z employees prefer a positive company culture over a high paycheck" (Ujji). Ujji Maybe the Gen Z rebels will actually help save humanity’s future after all. Stranger things have happened. It’s often the counter-culture rebels who shine light on a new path forward anyway. Look at US history. 50s urban development. 60s hippy love. 70s psychedelic ascension. 80s economic boom. 90s digital revolution. Change depends on the vital few who are willing to put their neck out. You're Not Behind You're not lost. You're not failing to adapt. You're simply just early. There is a critical advantage available to those who prepare now versus those who wait for clarity or kindness. The question is not: "What's wrong with me that makes me unable to figure this out?" "What's wrong with me that makes me unable to figure this out?" The question is: "What am I sensing that others haven't recognized yet?" "What am I sensing that others haven't recognized yet?" And more importantly: "How do I position myself for what's emerging instead of defending what's disappearing?" "How do I position myself for what's emerging instead of defending what's disappearing?" Opportunity Knocks Each of us will either end up on the side of abundance with access to community and opportunity… or get dopamine addicted to artificial stimulants. The deciding factor probably depends on actions taken over the next 24 months to determine our life path for the next 24 years. As for that meeting in the Chairman's office? I thought it was about me. My failure to fit in. My inability to commit properly to corporate life. But look around… Every ambitious person I know is feeling some version of what I felt in that room. Asked to choose between authenticity and security. Between being themselves and being successful. Between their humanity and their professional relevance. Except now it's not just pressure from a boss — it's the entire economic system. Breaking Free Most people can't take stock of what they're sensing due to various cognitive biases that keep them trapped in old patterns. How about you? Do you: Avoid conflicting evidence by keeping your mindset to things as usual? That’s called Coherence Maintenance.
Cling to familiar systems even when they're breaking? That’s Uncertainty Reduction.
Avoid the mental effort of rebuilding your belief systems. That’s Cognitive Economy. Avoid conflicting evidence by keeping your mindset to things as usual? That’s called Coherence Maintenance. Cling to familiar systems even when they're breaking? That’s Uncertainty Reduction. Avoid the mental effort of rebuilding your belief systems. That’s Cognitive Economy. Breaking free requires recognizing these patterns. This isn't just personal transformation — it's cognitive acceleration (c/acc). If you're feeling an urgent sense that 'I need to get my act together NOW' - that's not anxiety. That's accurate information and it is timely. Most people attempt to solve this confusion at the surface level. With conscious effort to make personal and professional improvements. But the real work happens at a deeper level — examining the mental patterns that keep you clutching at a disappearing world instead of embracing the promise of an emerging one. The people who learn to think clearly during times of transition become the architects of what comes next. P.S. The Chairman is now comfortably retired doing woodwork from his workshop on the grounds of his million dollar country home. I have every respect for him. A brilliant professional and business leader. As for me, I realize my passion and contribution involves returning to my early 20's interests and building on those foundations — with all the experience I continue to gain working for clients on governance culture, product innovation and market strategy. Let me know your thoughts. Visit me at https://www.gavrielshaw.com for more. https://www.gavrielshaw.com

The is an opinion piece based on the author’s POV and does not necessarily reflect the views of HackerNoon.

Don’t Defend What’s Disappearing — Build What’s Emerging

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