The Dao of Living Well

8 min read You tell your AI chatbot how you are really feeling and it responds perfectly. So why does it still feel hollow? In this post, we explore what the ancient philosopher Mencius reveals about the difference between simulated empathy and the real thing — and why that distinction matters for your mental and moral life. "That sounds really tough. I'm here with you." "I would feel the same way if I were in your position." It is strangely comforting when someone says these words to you, even if that "someone" is an AI chatbot available at 3am, never tired, never distracted, never checking its own phone mid-conversation. More people than ever are turning to AI companions like ChatGPT, Claude and Replika for emotional support, reassurance and even pseudo-counselling.  These tools offer undivided attention, validate your feelings and simulate care that can feel remarkably real.  The question is whether that simulation is actually helping you grow, or q...

8 min read If AI can draft your proposals, plan your holidays and summarise your emails, what exactly are you still for? In this post, we explore what a 4th-century BCE Daoist text reveals about the limits of artificial intelligence — and why your most irreplaceable qualities are precisely the ones that cannot be coded. The anxiety is real, and it is spreading. According to Resume Now's 2026 AI & Job Security Outlook Report, more than half of surveyed employees fear automation threatens their livelihoods.  Researchers at MIT have identified ' cognitive debt ' which is the phenomenon where outsourcing your thinking to AI gradually erodes your critical thinking and long-term memory. The question is not whether AI is changing work. It is. The question is: what do you have that AI cannot replicate? Interestingly, a 4th-century BCE Daoist text called the  Liezi  contains what might be the world's first science fiction story, written precisely to explore this question. T...