Introduction xi

Part I When Identity and Occupation Separate 1
Chapter 1 What Do You Do? 3
Chapter 2 The Stability People Expected 13
Chapter 3 When Expertise Feels Uncertain 21
Chapter 4 The Problem of Too Much Free Time 29
Chapter 5 When Distraction Replaces Satisfaction 37
Chapter 6 What Is Adaptive Curiosity? 45

Part II The Human Need for Meaning 51
Chapter 7 Why Information Is Not Enough 53
Chapter 8 The Importance of Contribution 61
Chapter 9 Recognition Without Titles 67
Chapter 10 Participation as the New Signal 73
Chapter 11 How Meaning Actually Forms 77

Part III Why Reinvention Is Difficult (FATE) 81
Chapter 12 Fear 83
Chapter 13 Assumptions 89
Chapter 14 Technology 95
Chapter 15 Environment 101

Part IV Developing Adaptive Curiosity 107
Chapter 16 Learning Again as an Adult 109
Chapter 17 Artificial Curiosity and Working with Intelligent Machines 115
Chapter 18 The Real Reason You Don't Start Anything New 123
Chapter 19 Overcoming Avoidance 129

Part V The Four Paths of Meaning 133
Chapter 20 Four Paths: The Meaning Alignment Profile (MAP) 135
Chapter 21 Exploration 141
Chapter 22 Connection 149
Chapter 23 Creation 155
Chapter 24 Influence 161
Chapter 25 Intelligent Machines and the Four Paths 167

Part VI A New Form of Contribution 175
Chapter 26 What Changes Over Time 177
Chapter 27 The Noisy TV Problem 181
Chapter 28 Preparing Future Generations 187

Conclusion 191
Appendix: The Meaning Alignment Profile (MAP) 195
About the Author 203
Index 205