Vocabulary
This word means a prehistoric cave-dweller and is used to describe ancient humans.
troglodyte
Real name of the “Mayor of Hippie Cove”
Gene Rosellini
Jobs most at risk from AI (routine, repetitive, data-heavy).
data entry, telemarketing, cashiers, warehouse work, and basic coding
The philosophy that emphasizes the spiritual over the material and unity with nature (must spell it correctly)
Transcendentalism
In Dante’s Purgatorio, envious people are punished this way.
their eyes are wired shut while perched on a cliff
Extremely harmful or poisonous, like a strong weed — used to describe malicious envy.
virulent
The simple mistake Chris McCunn made that led to his death.
What is failing to arrange for the pilot to pick him up
Two skills that make jobs more resilient to AI.
empathy/emotional intelligence and creativity/complex problem-solving
Two major transcendentalist writers who influenced McCandless.
Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau and Leo Tolstoy
Cosimo de’ Medici compared envy to this.
a virulent weed (that you shouldn’t water)
Imaginary, ghost-like, spiteful thoughts created by envy.
phantasms
Krakauer’s conjecture about who Chris McCandless really was
pilgrim
The recommended strategy to stay employable in an AI world
continuous reskilling / lifelong learning / AI literacy
The psychological boost people feel at New Year’s or other “landmark dates.”
fresh start effect
One key way to minimize social media’s “envy machine.”
unfollow people (you don’t know and only follow real friends)
When Mr. Kelly pretends to be coy about bragging
humble bragging
Why people made negative assumptions about McCandless
What is that no one would be crazy enough to wander alone in the Alaskan wild
Why leadership roles are likely to be strengthened by AI.
they require human-centric skills (empathy, strategy, interdisciplinary expertise) that AI cannot fully replace
The type of goals (of the two kind) that people are more likely to stick with.
approach goals
The main reason landmark dates inspire change.
they create a psychological divide between the “old me” and the “new me”
Harmless or motivating envy that leads to self-improvement
benign envy
The two Alaskan adventurers whose stories are told as cautionary tales alongside McCandless
Gene Rosellini and Carl McCunn
The projected net global job impact of AI by 2027
300 million jobs displaced but 97 million new roles created
The dangerous outcome described after achieving a big goal in the story prompt.
falling into despair / losing motivation to set new goals
The brain area stimulated by envy that is linked to physical and mental pain.
the anterior cingulate cortex