“Will AI replace me?”

What’s the real threat to professionals the age of AI? Job loss? Or an identity crisis?

In this no-nonsense episode of Samridh’s Library, we confront the elephant in every boardroom, courtroom, clinic, workstation office and even home today.

We’ll break down:

• The real psychological toll professionals are facing
• How to stop seeing AI as the enemy
• Why this is just another paradigm shift—and how the agile always win
• Key mindset shifts you need now

Note: This isn’t a tech hype episode. It’s a mental garage session. Let's plug in!

What's Inside:

(00:00) Intro

(00:28) Will AI Replace Me?

(01:47) The Quiet Professional Crisis

• Not about job loss.
• About loss of edge, identity, and meaning.
• Professionals quietly wondering: “What am I for?”

(02:43) The Psychological Hit Professionals Are Taking from AI—and How to Fight Back Smarter

• Professionals used to say: “At least my thinking can’t be replaced.”
• Now they wonder: “Then what am I for?”

(03:55) What’s Actually Happening To Professionals Living With AI

• “My skill isn’t rare anymore.”
• “My relevance is shrinking.”
• “My speed is no longer my value.”

(05:13) The Quiet Questions Professionals Are Asking About AI

(05:34) “What if I’m no longer the smartest person in the room?”

(08:37) “What’s the point of my skill if AI can do it faster?”

(10:10) “Am I falling behind if I’m not using AI daily?”

(13:02) “Will I be irrelevant in 5 years?”

(15:23) “What if I never feel as sharp as I used to?”

(17:35) Is This Professional Risk New?

(18:31) 1. Revolution: The Industrial Age

(20:08) 2. Revolution: The Internet Age

(21:16) 3. Revolution: The Mobile Age

(22:14) Now: The AI Age

(22:33) What Agile Professionals Have Always Understood

• Every new tool creates a new terrain. And in a new terrain, old instincts can misfire.
• Machines don’t kill professions. People not adapting to machines do.

(25:00) What Should Professionals Do About AI?

(25:16) 1. Redefine your value.

(26:32) 2. Let AI take what doesn’t need your brain.

(28:04) 3. Build a 'thinking' system, not a 'doing' skillset.

(29:39) This Is Your Psychological Test As a Professional

• The AI age isn’t a test of your technical ability but of your professional psychology and temperament.

(31:39) Stop Thinking of AI as the Enemy

• You lose edge by refusing AI
• AI is not a professional rival; it's a smart understudy

(32:57) The Mindset Shift Many Professionals Need To Make

(33:10) 1. Old Mindset: “AI is trying to take my place.”

(34:07) 2. Old Mindset: “AI can do it faster than me.”

(34:51) 3. Old Mindset: “I have to prove I’m smarter than the machine.”

(36:01) Which Professionals Will Win

• Not the fastest coders or engineers
• They'll be slower, and know which questions to ask, answer and reframe

(36:45) The Real Enemy Of Professionals Isn’t AI

• It's not AI; the enemy is denial and false ego
• Stop looking at it as a competitor; start looking at it as a competitive advantage

(37:17) Understanding the AI Paradigm Shift:

• A paradigm shift occurs rarely
• It's not an ordinary upgrade or change of a game's rules
• It's a new game altogether
• AI predicted in Thomas Kuhn's Structure of Scientific Revolutions
• Game doesn't ask for permission; it just asks if you are still relevant

(39:12) Every Profession Has Lived Through One

(39:16) 1. The Calculator

(39:41) 2. The Spreadsheet

(40:00) 3. The Internet

(40:33) 4. The Smartphone

(41:09) And Now, AI.

(41:38) - The Agile Professional Always Asks Just One Question

• What just became cheaper, easier or faster for everyone because of AI?
• What of my value proposition just became rarer and more valuable?
• Paradigm shifts create anxiety, but also opportunity

• Embrace it before it runs you over or moves on without you

(42:56) Final Thoughts:

• Your professional paradigm has shifted. Have you?

What To Do Next:

Subscribe to ⁠Samridh’s Library⁠ for regular clarity with zero hype. Share this episode with colleagues who need to hear this before their next AI-induced meltdown!

In this episode, Samridh explores the concept of second order thinking as a vital mental model for effective decision making. He discusses how this model can help individuals avoid short-sighted decisions by considering the long-term consequences of their actions. Through examples from cricket and investing, he illustrates the importance of rational thinking and de-biasing in decision-making processes. The conversation also includes practical applications and a checklist for implementing second order thinking in everyday life.

Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Mental Models

(01:58) Understanding Second Order Thinking

(05:11) Dhoni's Decision in the 2011 World Cup Final

(15:12) The Importance of Second Order Thinking in Life

(23:00) A Second Order Thinking Checklist

(34:41) Implementing Second Order Thinking in Daily Life

Takeaways

1. Second order thinking helps avoid disastrous decisions.
2. It's a mental toolkit for better decision making.
3. Most people make decisions like goldfish.
4. Rational override helps in better decision making.
5. Second order thinking is essential in investing.
6. What happens when you do nothing?
7. You need to practice negative visualization.
8. History loves to repeat itself.
9. The quality of our lives is the sum of our decisions.
10. Destiny guides those who are willing.

Want to Read Along?

Read the companion guide on Samridh's Library:

https://samridhslibrary.com/second-order-thinking-how-to-avoid-disastrous-decisions-one-step-at-a-time/

Keywords:

mental models, second order thinking, decision making, investing, de-biasing, rational thinking, consequences, cricket, life decisions, practical applications

Are the dead better influencers than the living?

In a world obsessed with real-time updates, trending influencers, and the latest thought leaders, suggesting that the most valuable insights come from people who have been dead for centuries is a deeply contrarian view.

Our society values novelty and real-time relevance, often dismissing the dead as outdated. Yet, paradoxically, the dead thinkers, creators, and innovators of the past continue to shape the present more than most living influencers do. We ignore them at our peril.

Let's dive into this contrarian idea, including who these dead geniuses are, what makes a dead person a genius, and how to like, share, follow and subscribe to them before you follow your next Insta influencer.

Want to read along?

Read the companion article on Samridh's Library:

https://samridhslibrary.com/dead-geniuses-why-the-dead-are-better-influencers-than-the-living-2/

Reading daily is easy, if you know how. Here are 9 tricks I use to read more, with less effort and decision fatigue while working full-time.