TODO: DIY
In an age where AI agents can do so much for you, there is still room to do things yourself. The agent-principal problem still exists. Perhaps even more from a safety perspective.
From home repair, to coffee, or learning, you need to keep that curiosity and experimentation for yourself. It’s beyond satisfaction too, it’s about skin in the game, and accountability.
This game, where you get mini rewards along the way as you figure out what kind of coffee beans there are and their differences, different local coffee roasters, and all the exact ratios and temperatures to brew them at. Tasting a coffee over time as it cools and noticing the subtle chocolatey notes and smooth body. Or when you roughly follow a french toast recipe, but realize why they said to use stale bread, rather than fresh bread. You’re always learning.
I’ve been liking AI learning modes, that exercise the socratic method. Questioning what I’m questioning and what I may already know. Making me fill in the blanks. It’s more a partnership than pure consumption.
Like the old coins you’ve worked hard to collect as a kid, there’s something special about the hard work you put into thinking, “is this coin special or old in some way?”
Reading long-form on your own, rather than summaries is still important. You form your own opinions and perspectives as you go, slowly, rather than all at once.
It’s something movies seem to often lack compared to books. There’s a more multi-sensory, immersive experience, but there’s less room for your own imagination. People are left to wonder about subplots and plot holes, rather than how things were presented.
Assessing people on this is particularly difficult given how quick advances are changing the capabilities of an individual. Not everyone may adopt new technologies, and some may not be able to do anything when those services are down.
Writing this is the same. Maybe it’s not the most well-formed, but it’s mine. Maybe I’ll get better, maybe not, but it’s still mine.