The Illusion of Professional Activity

Let us suppose there is a person who has cultivated a refined habit of reading op-eds from prestigious media outlets. This person, once exposed to platforms like YouTube or Netflix—which can dull human intelligence—experiences a disquieting sensation and resolves to assert cognitive control over what they see and hear, striving instead to exercise superior forms of cognition and intellectual ambition. Consequently, the person deliberately devotes several minutes to hours each day to reading specialized books or academic journals in their field on a regular basis.

Such a person, when judged by observable behavior alone, is likely to be evaluated by many as someone possessing a rational and critical mode of thinking. It is one’s outward behavior that serves as the initial cue from which others draw conclusions. A person watching YouTube and a person reading academic journals evoke distinctly different impressions. If this behavioral contrast is all that is visible, then there exists neither room nor grounds for further speculation, and so the impression of the person is halted there.

In truth, however, the reality may differ. This person’s fundamental motivation does not lie in academic fervor or a sense of achievement, but rather in a reactionary impulse against modern individuals addicted to dopamine, having lost reason and judgment. For such a person, the act of reading academic journals becomes an end in itself, rather than a means to cultivate intellectual capacity. Individuals of this type often lack a clear sense of what academic knowledge they truly require, and their driving force lies in realms wholly external to scholarly pursuit. As a result, they end up reading journals such as Nature, Cell, or Science—those with established credibility and prestige—not because they need the content, but because such actions appear fitting for someone perceived to be thoughtful and intelligent.

To elaborate further, this person derives the impetus for their current behavior from observing those who have lost the capacity for critical thought. In seeking to dissociate themselves from such people, they turn to reading academic journals. Given this premise, the optimal course of action for fulfilling their aim is to mimic behavioral patterns commonly associated with thoughtful individuals, thereby positioning themselves as a member of that group. In effect, they observe the behavior of intellectuals or cultured individuals—those diametrically opposed to the people they disdain—and find clues in such behaviors to guide their own. Since reading and writing extensively for the sake of academic commitment is one such observed behavior, they imitate it.

Imitation in humans may occur on the level of motivation, but when motivation is what is imitated, then—since each individual is fundamentally distinct—it should result in divergent behaviors even from shared intent. If, however, imitation is seen in behavior itself, then paradoxically, it is likely not motivation that has been replicated, but rather that the behavior alone has been imitated despite a fundamentally different inner drive.

In the same vein, one often sees people deciding on a career path and attempting to achieve it artificially through repeated actions and training, despite lacking the underlying drive or disposition necessary for that role. This phenomenon is commonplace—from repetitive problem-solving for the sake of high grades, to completing assignments merely to obtain a diploma, to bureaucratic behavior where the formal process or certificate is prioritized over authentic motivation. For example, imagine someone who believes they must become a journalist solely because they scored highly on a childhood career aptitude test. This individual shows little interest in speaking with others to gather their opinions. Even when covering political issues, they do not engage with people who hold differing values in order to assemble pieces for their own understanding. Rather, their job is reduced to holding a microphone in front of someone’s mouth and collecting a paycheck. Such behavior is often labeled mechanical, and I observe it not only in others, but in myself and most people as well.