The Human Element

What it means to be human in 2025

I was talking to a friend last night who's going through a career transition, and we got deep into this question of where real value exists in today's economy. He's been working in a super niche field that tons of people would kill to break into, but one that has a natural expiration date forcing transitions early in life. The reality is, he's been pretty isolated from the mainstream business world, and in the next few years, he's facing a transition where he needs to figure out where to focus and build a life.

His experience is similar to one I've gone through, as have/will most people deeply involved in a startup for years. What to do next is hard enough to explore when you've been working under a rock for a decade. It's even harder in this era of radical change.

As algorithms take over jobs that once required specialized knowledge—jobs that employed millions for generations—raw intellectual horsepower just isn't worth what it used to be.

But this tech shift doesn't mean we humans are becoming useless. If anything, it highlights what truly matters about us. When information processing becomes dirt cheap, our distinctly human qualities become more precious.

The ability to ask good questions, understand ourselves, and create something new—these aren't just safe from robots, they're the essence of being human. As AI gets smarter, our unique value becomes more obvious, not less. We're circling back to the fundamentals that no algorithm can duplicate.

The Art of Asking

In "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" a supercomputer spends millions of years calculating the answer to life, the universe, and everything—only to produce the infamous result: "42." The joke isn't just the absurdity of the answer, but that seeking the answer was itself misguided. As the computer explains, to understand the answer, you must know what the right question is in the first place. The problem wasn't the answer; it was that no one had formulated the proper question.

In a world where machines can spit out answers to almost anything, asking the right questions becomes the real skill. This kind of creative thinking—spotting problems worth solving and looking at challenges in fresh ways—is something AI just can't match.

AI is great at recognizing patterns but struggles to think outside the box. The questions that really move us forward require imaginative leaps, connecting dots across different fields, and challenging what everyone takes for granted—all things that remain uniquely human.

Breakthrough innovations aren't just clever solutions to well-defined problems. They completely reframe how we see things. Einstein didn't just crunch physics equations faster; he questioned our basic understanding of space and time. The smartphone wasn't just a better phone; it completely reimagined what personal technology could be.

As AI systems become more adept at providing answers, human value shifts to curiosity—the ability to ask "what if?" These questions, which emerge from our experiences and gut feelings, create the frameworks within which AI operates. Our human knack for defining worthwhile problems is what allows machines to solve them.

The Sovereign Self

A scattered mind in an undisciplined body doesn't stand much of a chance against carefully engineered temptations designed to fragment attention and reduce your sense of control. Physical strength forms the foundation for mental resilience, creating the backbone you need to resist forces pulling you away from authentic human experience.

You can spot who isn't taking the AI revolution seriously by whether they're serious about their physical and mental health.

As information processing becomes everywhere and everything, mastering yourself becomes more valuable. This means controlling what you pay attention to, managing your emotions, staying healthy, and being able to focus when everything around you is designed to scatter your thoughts.

AI might simulate emotions, but human emotional regulation and social skills can't be replaced. Our ability to recognize feelings, control impulses, and handle complex social situations comes from our lived experiences—quite different from how machines recognize patterns.

In the same way, physical health is crucial in our increasingly virtual world. There's really no excuse to neglect building strength, staying mobile, and maintaining your vitality when your physical presence is what sets you apart from digital entities.

Your body, with all its systems of movement, feeling, and response, connects you to realities that algorithms simply can't access. As distractions multiply around us, only the disciplined development of physical robustness—through training, movement, and good nutrition—provides the mental clarity needed to navigate wisely.

The Craftsman's Touch

Our lasting value lies in how we shape the physical world—building, fixing, and crafting with our hands. Digital work can be copied endlessly, but physical objects hold unique value. This isn't just about fancy goods; it's about the essential infrastructure around us. Electricians, plumbers, and framers are the backbone of civilization. As digital economies become more abstract, the tangible value of maintaining our physical world becomes irreplaceable.

In manufacturing, human involvement remains vital. Despite automation, designing, testing, and refining products requires a deep understanding of materials and users that goes beyond what algorithms can optimize. Machinists, quality specialists, and engineers contribute a kind of intelligence that's rooted in physical reality.

Diagnosing and repairing complex systems showcases physical intelligence. Automotive technicians, HVAC specialists, and network technicians blend theory with hands-on experience and the sensory awareness that comes with it.

Technology advances but doesn't replace physical skills—it changes them. Human craftsmanship combined with advanced tools makes our work more valuable, not less. Construction workers using precision machinery, surgeons with robotic assistance, and farmers with modern systems demonstrate how technology enhances what humans can do, creating a partnership that draws on both strengths.

Working with physical materials connects us to realities often missing in digital work: the resistance of materials, physical limitations, and processes that can't be undone. These hands-on experiences ground us in ways that virtual environments simply can't, reminding us that we exist in a physical world.

The Way Forward

The path isn't as complicated as we might think.

Focus on asking the right questions. In today's world where answers are everywhere, curiosity matters more than ever. Let yourself explore. Follow your interests. Question what seems obvious. Stay curious about the world and what might be possible.

Master your body. Build strength, flexibility, and stamina. Develop the self-discipline to avoid distractions and stay focused on what matters.

Learn to work with your hands. Make real things you can touch and use, whether you're building a bookshelf or fixing your car.

Respect the people who build things. Electricians, plumbers, carpenters, and factory workers are the backbone of everything that works in our society.

As AI takes over more of our thinking work, these fundamentally human abilities—questioning, exploring, developing ourselves, and creating with our hands—don't just keep us relevant. They make us more fully human.