Let’s be honest for a second—have you ever looked around your workplace and wondered, How in the world has this person managed to stay employed for the last twenty years?
It’s genuinely fascinating. We live in a time when artificial intelligence is practically writing job descriptions faster than humans can read them, and yet, there they are—those unshakable monuments of mediocrity. Still showing up, still collecting a paycheck, still blissfully unaware that the rest of the world has moved on.
It’s like watching a VHS tape in an age of 8K streaming. You’re tempted to check if someone accidentally left them behind from the 90s.
And then—on the other end of this corporate spectrum—you meet the unstoppable learners. You know, those folks whose hunger for growth is insatiable. They’ll finish a project and then ask, “What else can I pick up?” They’re probably taking a course, experimenting with a tool, or reading something new while you’re just trying to finish your coffee.
That’s the paradox of today’s work culture: an ecosystem where brilliant curiosity and mind-numbing complacency coexist under the same fluorescent lights.
And let’s not sugarcoat it—dealing with mediocrity can be maddening. Especially in times when every second article you read is about how AI is coming to steal your job. Yet, some people are so comfortable in their inertia that you’d think their chairs were bolted to the floor—and maybe their ambitions were, too.
So here’s a little self-check exercise I think everyone should do once in a while—especially if you’re feeling smug about how irreplaceable you are:
Ask yourself this simple question:
“If tomorrow, I had to interview for the exact same job I’m doing right now, with the same knowledge and skills I currently have—would I be hired?”
Pause. Really let that sink in.
If your answer is a confident, Hell, yes! then relax. You’re probably safe. AI won’t be coming for your chair anytime soon, because you actually know what you’re doing.
But if asking this question makes your stomach twist into knots or sends a cold chill creeping up your spine—well, then it’s time for some serious introspection.
Because here’s the hard truth: your biggest threat isn’t artificial intelligence. It’s your own refusal to grow.
So, my friend—get going. Upgrade yourself before the world upgrades right past you.
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