spark.
how it all started
In late autumn of 2022, a technology hailed as the greatest breakthrough of the 21st century was unveiled to the world. Its arrival sent shockwaves through global markets, reshaping industries in ways that will continue to unfold for decades. The man behind this leap was Sam Altman, and the product was called ChatGPT-3.5.
This moment marked a turning point in human history, setting our trajectory on an entirely new course. The disruption of the job market and the tech industry affected millions of workers. For me, losing my job to AI became the catalyst to reconsider what it truly means to succeed in the age of machines.
As many great thinkers have said, AI is the most powerful lever humanity has ever created. The question that remains is: how will we choose to use it?
When I was a kid, whenever I looked forward to something great and imagined it, the opposite or something different would happen. This led me to believe that imagining something in the future would prevent it from occurring. So, I stopped imagining good things happening, hoping to avoid making them not happen.
Eventually, I realized that my imagination wasn’t the issue; it was my inability to predict what would actually happen. I was simply bad at forecasting the future.
The future does not honor predictions. It honors the ones who dance with change.
Maps are useful, yes, but adaptability is the sail. Understanding is the rudder.
And sometimes, the wind itself is the teacher.
What was that spark that made Newton discover gravity?
We all carry that withing us like a forgotten superpower...
Understanding is deeply rooted in the uniquely human ability to create explanatory knowledge. It goes beyond simply describing what is it seeks to uncover the underlying mechanisms, principles, and laws of nature. True understanding is about grasping the why, not just the what. It’s about discovering how things really are beneath the surface of appearances.
All of this explanatory knowledge accumulates into what we might call a Framework of Understanding (FOU), a personal and collective mental map of reality. This framework shapes how we perceive the world, interpret events, and make decisions. The depth and power of our FOU depend on the accuracy, scope, and strength of the explanations it contains.
I believe that in India, we have Babas, and in developed countries, we have self-help gurus. They all do the same thing: they give hope and promise clarity by offering temporary solutions or pseudo-order to relieve anxiety and provide some justified belief. This gives comfort to people, and many need it. However, it makes them dependent on these Babas or gurus, as we keep looking to them for answers.
I have been reading books, watching podcasts and following self help content creators for over 10 years now. I believe that many others like me may have felt the same frustration of endless loop of consumption of advice which leads to nothing other than offering this comfort or sense of temporary clarity. It is a kind of a drug many of us are addicted to.
Over time I realized that current model of self development or advice seeking is flawed.
So, I started working on creating one of my own...
from advice... to agency...
More coming...
There are other parts of Framework of Understanding that I will posting out... Stay tuned!