09/10/2026
Finding the Three-Quarters of Myself I Lost Along the Way
I know there are lots of different opinions about AI, and I understand many of the concerns. But one thing I've found genuinely valuable is the opportunity to have thoughtful, exploratory conversations that help me understand myself and my experiences differently.
Tonight, I saw a reference to the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, who wrote:
“We forfeit three-fourths of ourselves in order to be like other people.”
That prompted a fascinating conversation about social conformity, belonging and the extent to which we sacrifice our individuality to fit in.
What started as a philosophical discussion gradually developed into something much more personal, exploring my late AuDHD diagnosis, masking, unmasking and the impact of spending decades trying to meet other people's expectations without understanding why I experienced the world differently.
We also explored how experiences from the past can be understood through three distinct stages: observation, interpretation and reinterpretation. A simple distinction, but one that helped me make sense of some of the work I'd previously undertaken in trauma counselling.
This wasn't AI diagnosing me, providing therapy or telling me who I am. It was simply a conversation in which questions, reflections and different perspectives helped me reach a new understanding of my own experiences.
And that, for me, is where AI can have genuine value.
Because perhaps one of the most challenging aspects of receiving an AuDHD diagnosis later in life isn't simply discovering who you are.
It's recognising how much of yourself you may have spent a lifetime sacrificing to fit into a world you didn't fully understand, and then beginning the journey of finding those missing three-quarters of yourself again.
And sometimes, an unexpected conversation can help you find another little piece. 💙
