Luda’s Life Notes: Don’t Hand Your Life Over to Algorithms

Recently, three images have been looping in my mind.

One about social class.

One about camping.

One about AI and the consulting room.

At first glance, they seem unrelated. But they are all telling the same story:

How a person finds their place in an era of rapid change.

Let me share them with you today.

01. Social mobility: harder than we imagine

In recent years, I’ve found myself thinking more and more about “social class”.

As my experience grows, I naturally begin to observe people in different social positions—

how they talk about money, children, risk, and the future.

Gradually, I’ve realised something quite sobering:

Social class is not just about income differences. It is about differences in cognitive structure.

What we call “class rigidity” is often not about locked resources, but about the difficulty of changing one’s way of thinking.

Not long ago, I had a deep conversation with a friend about this. By the end, we both fell silent.

Because social mobility may be far harder than we assume.

In sociology, particularly in Max Weber’s theory, social class is shaped by three dimensions:

• Wealth

• Power

• Prestige

Interestingly, not everyone moves upward through wealth or power.

Monks, top scientists, certain artists—they often move through the “prestige” channel instead.

In Western societies, I’ve noticed that only a few professions manage to combine both high income and high social status. The most typical examples are doctors and lawyers.

Why?

I think there are at least three reasons.

First, a knowledge moat.
Both professions have strict entry barriers. Long years of education, licensing systems, and professional associations maintain scarcity over time. Scarcity leads to bargaining power.

Second, the severity of the problems they handle.
Doctors deal with life. Lawyers deal with freedom and property.
Social status is often tied to the fundamental value of the problems one solves. Life and freedom are two of the most basic human concerns.

Third, their position as social nodes.
A good lawyer connects political and business networks.
A doctor holds access to health resources—and health is something every social class depends on.

When a profession becomes a “necessary node” in society, class advantage naturally forms.

Of course, times are changing. AI will reshape many industries.

But I am increasingly certain of one thing:

True social mobility is ultimately a shift in “value-creation capability”.

When you continuously improve your ability to solve meaningful problems, when you build yourself around real human needs, your position will shift accordingly.

It’s just not an easy path.

02. Camping: the moment familiar patterns break

Last weekend, I went camping in the mountains with my family and some friends.

I’ve been doing outdoor activities since university. I’ve experienced extreme heat, power outages, and storms while setting up tents. For me, camping has usually just been physical work.

But this time was different.

The participation of two mothers completely changed the experience.

Ambient lights, an outdoor cinema, an automatic inflatable tent, a home-style fridge, plenty of fruit and prepared food—

It was no longer “rough camping”, but an upgraded way of living.

Even nearby local families looked on with admiration.

In that moment, I suddenly realised:

Many of the “boundaries of experience” we assume exist are actually just boundaries of habit.

Humans are interesting creatures.

We seek safety, so we repeat familiar patterns.

But familiarity can also become a cognitive cage.

When we are willing to step out—to meet different people, try different ways of living—we realise:

Life has far more “openings” than we think.

Sometimes, breaking perception boundaries is more important than increasing income.

03. AI and the consulting room: when emotions are outsourced to algorithms

Recently, in my consulting practice, I met the third couple whose relationship had deteriorated after “long-term emotional conversations with AI”.

Talking to friends, I realised a trend:

More and more people are using AI to process feelings, confusion, and even marital issues.

I am not against using AI.

But I am concerned about how it is being used.

Because when people hand major emotional decisions over to algorithms, the risks are far greater than they appear.

I’ve noticed three dangerous patterns.

First, treating AI as a “judge”.
Asking: “Should I get divorced?”
Asking: “Does he still love me?”

AI can only generate probabilistic answers. It cannot carry the consequences of your life.

Second, using AI to label your partner.
“Is he narcissistic?”
“Is she avoidant?”

Labels stop understanding. They turn relationships into deadlocks.

Third, becoming dependent on frictionless empathy.
AI always agrees with you. It does not challenge you.

But real relationships require conflict, complexity, and repair.

If someone becomes accustomed to “effortless understanding”, they become increasingly fragile in real life.

Of course, AI can be used wisely.

It can act as an emotional buffer—something you talk to first when overwhelmed, instead of lashing out at your partner.

It can help organise thoughts and simulate difficult conversations.

But it cannot replace real eyes, real silence, or real embraces.

Technology can provide tools.

But relationships must be lived by humans.

If this letter has helped you in some way, perhaps it is worth sharing with someone you care about. Every share is a form of quiet connection.

In the end

These three stories are really about one thing:

• Social mobility requires cognitive upgrade.

• Camping requires breaking habitual boundaries.

• AI requires maintaining personal agency.

No matter how the world changes, what remains essential is this:

How you become a clearer, more grounded, and more powerful version of yourself.