So I wanna get into psychology now!?

Yesterday, I was having a long conversation with my mom—one of those rare, deep talks about ideologies, how the world works, and, more importantly, how it should work. We talked for 45 minutes straight, and honestly, I really admire how she thinks. It was a great discussion, just bouncing ideas off each other.

Then, out of nowhere, she goes, “You should read psychology.”

I was like, Mamma, I don’t even have time for this (not saying no, just being realistic). After some more back-and-forth, I convinced her that I’m already overly committed and can’t dedicate time to this right now. She understood but still told me, “Read whenever you get time.”

Fast forward two days—I was searching for a screw in my upper almirah rack (that place is basically a book graveyard, around 20 books buried under layers of dust). I found one with a cover on it, had no clue what it was. Curiosity kicked in, so I pulled it out. Turns out, it was 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think.

And now here I am, writing about it because, obviously, I let myself read the first essay: “Subconscious Behaviors That Are Keeping You From Having The Life You Want.”

It started with this idea—every generation has a monoculture. No clue what that meant. Turns out, it’s a collective belief, a kind of shared reassurance people follow without questioning.

And that got me thinking.

Am I also built by this monoculture? Is that a good thing? A bad thing? And does it even matter? But wait—I take pride in calling myself curious, someone who believes in first-principles thinking. How the hell am I following something I don’t even fully understand? That realization hit hard.

I have a week now to sit with this thought, figure it out. (Technically, mid-sems are here, which means I have all the time in the world.) Will update soon.

Date: 25 Feb 2025

Yesterday, I had a long, deep conversation with my sister—similar to the one I had with my mom a few days ago. We were discussing how things work, how ideologies shape us, and, more specifically, how monoculture influences our thinking. As we talked, I reflected on my own experience of stumbling upon 101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think and how it introduced me to the idea of monoculture—the collective belief system that each generation unconsciously adheres to.

Our discussion took a more speculative turn as we imagined ourselves 50 years into the past and then 50 years into the future. The monoculture of the past was starkly different from what we have today, and we debated whether it would continue to diversify or diminish as we move forward. My sister was adamant that monoculture would gradually dissolve. She believed that as people grow intellectually and gain access to more information, they will naturally break free from rigid societal norms, leading to a world with fewer dominant cultural narratives.

Ironically, her point aligned with mine, but I viewed it from a different angle. While we might see a superficial diversification of perspectives, I argued that technological advancements—especially artificial intelligence—could actually lead to the emergence of stronger, yet more subtle, monocultures. The shift in the workforce, driven by AI automation, is already reducing the need for large human-operated enterprises. In the future, billion-dollar startups might be run by teams of just 7-8 people, drastically reducing the number of human interactions in professional settings. With fewer diverse interactions, people will unconsciously align with specific prevailing mindsets, reinforcing a hidden form of monoculture that operates behind the scenes.

This shift isn’t unprecedented. Historically, workplaces have played a significant role in exposing individuals to diverse viewpoints. People from different backgrounds, disciplines, and ideologies were forced to collaborate, debate, and challenge each other. However, as automation reduces human involvement in businesses, our professional and social circles may shrink, limiting exposure to different ways of thinking.

Research in cognitive science and sociology supports this concern. Studies indicate that echo chambers—social environments where individuals are primarily exposed to like-minded perspectives—lead to the reinforcement of certain ideologies while suppressing alternative viewpoints. With AI-driven algorithms curating personalized content for us, monoculture may not just persist but become more deeply ingrained. We may believe we are free thinkers, but in reality, our thoughts could be subtly guided by the invisible hands of machine learning models, corporate interests, and algorithmic design.

This brings up an important paradox: Are we truly breaking free from monoculture, or are we simply transitioning to a more sophisticated, algorithmically-driven version of it? If monoculture of the past was shaped by social norms, religious beliefs, and political ideologies, the future might see it shaped by digital ecosystems, AI-driven narratives, and controlled information dissemination.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that breaking away from monoculture requires intentional effort. It means actively seeking out contrasting viewpoints, questioning our own biases, and engaging in meaningful discussions with people outside our echo chambers. It means resisting the convenience of algorithmic recommendations and taking control of what we choose to learn.

So, are we heading toward a world with fewer monocultures, or are we simply evolving into a new form of it—one that’s more subtle, more personalized, and perhaps, more difficult to recognize? That’s a question worth sitting with for a while.

I’ll update as I dig deeper into this thought.