Preface

This article is one of many. Thus, my aim with it is to shortly explore the most important concepts we will need on this journey. And yes, this is a journey, one you would not want to miss(subscribing ensures this won’t happen). Buckle up, the introduction that follows may or may not scary you. Nevertheless, pay attention, it will certainly give you something to consider.

Where it all comes from

We are taught at school to find answers, and we will always need to find answers. However, the questions are changing too rapidly. Soon enough, we won’t need to exercise our brains to solve most mechanical problems. And I am not only talking about data analysis or pure Math but rather anything that can be logically accessed and converted into patterns. These include journalism, scientific discovery, biology, logistics, and almost anything to some degree.

Scary? well, it should be.

Graph from: https://www.statista.com/topics/11516/artificial-intelligence-ai-in-labor-and-productivity/.

The graph above shows the scary reality of how quickly this automation escalated. It’s clear we are entering a new era, a new reality that we have to adapt to.

My problem with this is that we are unprepared to adapt; we plainly lack the required skills. And it’s not that simple to get to the core of the problem because we are not only unprepared, but we are also unaware of it. For decades, getting a degree at a good university has been the answer. While not setting you up for miraculous financial success, it has always been a stable setup for the future. We were to choose a profession, get all the necessary knowledge, and hopefully secure our place at a prosperous company. This system had its flaws, but it worked. However, it may not work anymore.

Modern education is inherently flawed because its systems are obsolete. It was set up the way it is more than a century ago, in the times of the Industrial Revolution. They needed workers smart enough to operate machines yet obedient enough to follow orders. This meant they were to have just enough knowledge to do their job efficiently. However, this bare minimum of knowledge—pure mechanical skills at finding the best answer—will soon become irrelevant. And if that’s essentially the sole premise of higher education as it was designed, one based on memory, then we have a problem. We can’t compete with AI in terms of memory; even in logic, we are no equals. So how are we supposed to navigate the world now? That’s what I aim to explore and teach if you’re willing to listen.

Tools We Are Going to Use

We’ve established the “Why”; the “How” will be our next stop.

One thing that is very important to understand early is this—the emergence of AI, no matter how scary it seems, is a good thing (unless it destroys us all, of course—something I won’t be exploring in this series, even though I do believe it is possible eventually). Therefore, we should look forward to it, right? Yes and no.

• Yes—because it will make our lives better, and we will be able to focus more on the things we love. It will most certainly result in improved life conditions and a more fulfilled society.

• No—because, again, we are not ready for it. Many will struggle with belonging and impostor syndrome, and of course, some will lose their jobs.

But we are here to prevent or at least assuage the dramatic events that may arise, aren’t we? That is why we need to know how to stay at the forefront of this technological revolution—and make this leap while smiling.

Now, I will get specific and try to create as much value as I can in this first article. First, I will list what I believe to be the skills and approaches that will define our shared future:

1. Abstract thinking and complex problem-solving

2. Storytelling

3. Understanding human nature and psychology

4. Mathematics and data science

5. Philosophy

6. Learning how to study

Below, I will briefly go over each of these one by one. That said, each bullet point encompasses a huge cluster of related fields of study and ideas. I will dedicate a separate article to each of these, in a context related to our objective.

Abstract Thinking

Such an important and all-encompassing concept that, in fact, “Athinking,” my profile name, was derived from it.

Let me first try to explain what it even means. Abstract thinking is one’s ability to think outside the box, which is literally the opposite of what most people are taught in schools. It is the ability to recognize patterns and use the right hemisphere of the brain so that its creative abilities work in sync with the analytical capacities of the left hemisphere (spoiler: also a topic for another article). In simple terms, it is precisely what allows humans to create—it is exactly what can be called the fuel for any invention you know. I can’t stress enough how important it is for anyone who wants to “survive” this upcoming revolution and even prosper during these times. It is indeed the single most important topic and idea I want you to take away from this very article.

Fact to take away: Engaging in deeply creative tasks improves one’s abstract thinking. However, a highly trained abstract-thinking ability is also necessary to solve complex analytical problems effectively.

Tools to Get Started:

1. **Morning Journaling:**Aside from having numerous positive effects by itself, journaling is also a great playground for developing abstract thinking. Instead of writing anything that comes to mind (which you should do on some mornings), give yourself a topic to explore thoroughly, limiting your exploration to 2-3 pages. Do this the old-fashioned way—with a notebook and pen. Changing the topic every day will, morning by morning, activate capacities of your brain that may have been dormant for years. Try it—it works.

2. **Be More Intentional About Everyday Tasks:**Catch yourself solving everyday problems intuitively and stop. Put some thought into them and try to think of different ways you could approach the same problem. This is your abstract thinking at work—try to embrace it every time.

Side Note: This section may leave you with more questions than answers, and that is intentional. It takes abstract thinking to start thinking about it. Thus, I encourage you to explore the concept on your own after reading this. You may be shocked at how little we were taught about it during our lives. Otherwise, waiting for my upcoming article on the topic might also make sense.

Storytelling

We tell stories, and we perceive reality through them. It baffles me how little importance formal education is given to such an important skill. There is nothing more efficient in marketing than good storytelling, there is no better way to leave a lasting impression, and there is no better way to make a brand. Lastly, there is no better way to train your brain in abstract thinking (once again, spoiler alert and also a hint for those eager to start exploring the topic on their own).

Fact to take away: Storytelling is trained, unsurprisingly, when crafting a narrative. Now, think about how often you are given an opportunity to do so in schools. This should make you realize that, perhaps, it’s time to take self-education more seriously.

Tools that will help you get started:

Write a story. Unsurprising, isn’t it? Yet, it’s something many people find surprisingly difficult. If that’s you—whether you can’t come up with a scenario that feels fun enough, don’t know how to begin, or simply think your writing skills suck—try this: think of a story that makes you laugh or cry, something that brings out emotions. It could be an anecdote a friend told you, something that happened to you recently—anything, really—and then try to change it.

Start with small tweaks, like altering the ‘voice’ of a main character, the setting, or even minor details in between. See if the story still works, still brings out the same emotions, and then try changing more. Experiment with it. You’ll be surprised by how far you can get just by giving yourself a little head start.

Human Nature and Psychology

Empathy is key. We are all of human nature, obviously, so why do we avoid learning the related fields? Understanding what other people desire or aspire to be is what makes a great communicator and strategist—thus, it is of utmost importance to us. Communication is among the few things we don’t expect AI to become better than us at anytime soon, so spend time studying it.

Fact to take away: When you think about it, managers and high-level problem solvers are those who will probably be operating AI tools and thus on the top in this “new” world. Nothing makes a better manager-leader than skills in understanding and interpreting the wants and projections of others. If that’s your thing—skip the quantitative fields and indulge.

Tools that will help you get started:

Communicate the way you never did before. That’s a step that is different depending on the person. For someone who is more shy and introverted, it can be as simple as calling your friend and talking to him about something you never asked before. Or it can be approaching a stranger.

You choose how hard or scary it will be for you, but make sure you try something you never have before. What’s important is that you observe where this conversation takes you, how the person reacts, what they ask you. Keep track of details—they always matter.

Quantitative

Math is huge and complex. It genuinely takes more than one lifetime to learn most of it, hence the importance of prioritizing. Unless you’re passionate about the subject, don’t overspend time learning it from the ground up. What we really need from math, in our context, are the problem-solving frameworks and patterns that we can apply in other fields. Therefore, study the most important concepts, fill in the basic gaps, and get to the point where you’re comfortable with 1–2 years of undergraduate math. From there, as with everything, it’s up to you—you can either focus on problem-solving techniques and real-world applications or continue down the pure math path. But again, be warned: unless this is what you truly want, treat math as a hobby and advance other fields (like those I outlined above) in parallel.

Fact to take away: Learning everything will take decades, but… recalling the basics and filling in the gaps will take most people about a month or so (high school level)—even that, spending no more than 2–3 hours a day. Trust me, it will most definitely open possibilities you never thought it could for you. Math is fun if you treat it with reverence and understanding, from the perspective of maturity rather than teenage dismissiveness.

Tools that will help you get started:

Not much tips I can give at this point. Starting learning Mat

h is really just… Well, starting. You can choose to use digital platforms like Brilliant and Udemy (not affiliated) or buy a book like Mathematics. What’s really important however- is that you track you progress. You can go really slow or campus through it, just stay consistent.

Philosophy

Philosophy has always been about seeking answers that most people never even question. When we talk about expanding the mind and thinking outside the box—this is literally what it’s all about. Studying Carl Jung, for example, can help you realize how important the “unconscious” is, while studying psychology will show how his works were, in many ways, what predated our current understanding of the right and left hemispheres. This is really at the core of what I am preaching—the quintessential importance of learning to use both capacities of the brain and not over-relying on one over the other.

Finally, philosophy is a study about thought—the history, nature, and even outlooks on the future of thought. Paradoxically, at least for me, philosophy shed more light on the way people make decisions than any other science.

Fact to take away:

You don’t need to start tracing philosophical thought from its very beginning, like Aristotle’s works, to really get the gist of the main ideas and concepts. My suggestion is just to start—even if in little steps. These steps, nonetheless, will lead you where you need to be.

Tools that will help you get started:

My suggestion—if you’ve never dealt with philosophy before—is don’t start by reading complex texts, at least not something that tools like ChatGPT would suggest. While these monumental pieces are important, they are also complex, sometimes indigestible, and blunt. Thus, YouTube offers a great starting point. Even listening to some of the Chris Williamson podcasts is great start. Whatever your heart desire is in this endeavour you should pursue, philosophy is deeply personal in this regard.

Learning to Study

A section that could’ve very well been the first in the list. And it only makes sense because, unless you teach yourself proper studying techniques, you won’t get far. It invites another discussion about why current educational systems never teach you essential skills and techniques. However, what matters is that now you know they exist. Like with other sections, I will reference tools I find useful below. Don’t underestimate them, do your research, and again—trust me—it will change your life like it did for many people.

Fact to take away:

It has been shown in many studies over the years that spaced repetition, for example, can bring tremendous results in terms of performance and general knowledge retention over long periods of time. In other words, by “cramming” or simply reading and trying to digest massive amounts of information—the traditional method—you are leaving knowledge on the table. And it takes almost the same amount of relative effort to implement these techniques too.

Tools that will help you get started:

I will give two options, which, of course, ideally would be used together, here:

1. After the lecture, do take notes—but in a slightly different way. Try to explore the topic you just listened to. Don’t simply put everything you still remember on paper. Have fun with it. Ask yourself questions, write a small essay, and be creative. Your task is to immediately put this new knowledge to use, like you would in an elaborate conversation.

2. If that new approach intrigues you, makes you realize the power of these techniques…techniques- read the book: Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning

Before you go

Now, I understand all of this may feel like too much at first. This is the reason my suggestions are mostly purely practical and not holistic. I will, of course, be writing holistic approaches to each of these fields in upcoming articles, so stick around for them.

Otherwise, please remember—it’s daunting only because you haven’t started yet, or maybe didn’t put enough effort into it until this moment. Therefore, my sole purpose, especially with the advice I gave you, is to make you start. Recognise the importance of what I’m talking about and just start.**

P.S.

I won’t make you pay for any of this—it’s free forever. In many ways, it has been my devotion to help people understand and realize the shift we are about to undergo, so it only makes sense to make it available to as many people as I can. Consequently, I’d be glad if you subscribe and send this article to your friends.

Of course, you can also pledge. I will make more content in the future, and I’ll be thankful for your support. Pledgers will also be included in many upcoming campaigns.