We are collectively exhausted. Honestly, you can feel it in the grocery store aisles and see it in the glazed-over eyes of people staring at their phones while they walk. For decades, we’ve been told that being a person is basically just a series of transactions. You trade time for money. You trade attention for "engagement." You trade your actual, physical health for a bit of extra output. But lately, there's been this massive, quiet shift happening—a search for a new way to be human that isn't rooted in optimization or data.
People are waking up to the fact that we aren't just algorithms in meat suits.
It's weird, right? We have all this technology designed to make life "easier," yet everyone feels more rushed than ever. In his book Four Thousand Weeks, Oliver Burkeman points out that we’ve basically been sold a lie about "getting everything done." The truth is, the more efficient you get, the more tasks people give you. It’s a treadmill. That’s why this movement toward a new way to be human is gaining so much traction. It isn’t about some "wellness" trend or buying a specific Himalayan salt lamp. It’s about rejecting the idea that your value is tied to what you produce.
The Problem With Being a "User"
Think about the language we use. You’re a "user" of an app. You’re a "consumer" of a product. You’re a "resource" at your job. These words strip away the weird, messy, beautiful complexity of actual humanity.
When we talk about a new way to be human, we’re talking about moving away from these cold, clinical definitions. We’ve spent years trying to make ourselves more like computers. We want to be faster. We want to multi-task better. We want to "download" information into our brains. But computers don't feel the sun on their skin or get a lump in their throat during a sad movie.
We’ve optimized the joy right out of our days.
The shift is starting in small ways. You see it in the "slow living" movement, but even that got co-opted by influencers trying to sell a specific aesthetic. The real change is internal. It’s about realizing that "doing nothing" isn't a waste of time—it's actually one of the most human things you can do. Jenny Odell covers this brilliantly in How to Do Nothing. She argues that our attention is the most valuable thing we have, and reclaiming it from the "attention economy" is a revolutionary act.
The Biology of Disconnection
Our brains haven't really changed in thousands of years. We are still wired for small tribes, campfire stories, and physical touch. Yet, we live in a world of 24-hour news cycles and thousands of "friends" we haven't spoken to in a decade.
This creates a biological friction.
Chronic stress isn't just a feeling; it’s a physiological state where your body thinks it’s constantly being hunted by a tiger. Except the tiger is a Slack notification at 9:00 PM. A new way to be human involves acknowledging these biological limits. It’s about saying, "Actually, my nervous system can’t handle this," and then making changes that reflect that reality. It’s about being okay with missing out.
Why "Life Hacks" Are Failing Us
We’ve been obsessed with hacking our lives for too long. If you just wake up at 4:00 AM, take a cold plunge, drink butter in your coffee, and journal for twenty minutes, you’ll finally be "fixed," right?
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Probably not.
Most of these hacks are just another way to turn yourself into a better machine. They are tools for optimization, not for connection. A new way to be human is less about "hacking" and more about "unfolding." It’s about letting things be messy. It’s about having a hobby that you’re actually bad at, just because you enjoy the process.
Remember when people used to play instruments or paint even if they weren't "pro"? Now, if you aren't monetizing your hobby on Etsy or TikTok, people think it's a waste. That's the mindset we need to break.
- Stop tracking every step. Do you really need a watch to tell you if you're tired?
- Embrace "analog" moments. Read a physical book. Write a letter. Use a map that doesn't talk back to you.
- Prioritize local over global. Care more about your neighbor than a celebrity's drama.
- Accept your finitude. You will die. You won't finish your to-do list. And that's actually okay.
Reconnecting With the Physical World
There is a concept in Japan called Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. It sounds fancy, but it’s literally just being in the woods. Researchers like Dr. Qing Li have shown that this actually lowers blood pressure and boosts the immune system. Why? Because we belong there.
We aren't meant to spend 90% of our lives indoors under LED lights.
Finding a new way to be human often looks like rediscovering the old ways. It’s about the tactile sensation of soil in a garden or the smell of rain on hot asphalt. These things ground us in a way that a digital world never can. If you spend your whole day looking at a screen, your world becomes two-dimensional. You lose the depth of experience.
I think about the "Right to Disconnect" laws emerging in places like France and Australia. These aren't just labor laws; they are human rights laws. They recognize that a human being needs space away from the machine to simply exist. Without that space, we aren't really living; we're just processing data for someone else’s profit.
The Power of Genuine Community
We are lonelier than ever. Despite being "connected," the U.S. Surgeon General recently declared an epidemic of loneliness and isolation. Technology has given us the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship.
Real friendship is inconvenient. It requires showing up when things are boring or difficult. It requires being seen without a filter.
A new way to be human puts community back at the center. This might mean joining a local choir, volunteering at a food bank, or just starting a weekly potluck with your neighbors. It’s about moving away from "I" and back toward "we."
In the Blue Zones—places where people live the longest—the common thread isn't a specific superfood. It’s social connection. It’s having a reason to get out of bed because people are counting on you to be there. We need to be needed. We need to belong to something bigger than our own personal brand.
Facing the Truth About Technology
We have to be honest: technology isn't neutral. It's designed to keep us scrolling. Tristan Harris and the Center for Humane Technology have been shouting this from the rooftops for years. Every time you pick up your phone, there are a thousand engineers on the other side of the screen trying to keep you there.
Reclaiming a new way to be human means setting boundaries with these tools.
It’s not about being a Luddite and throwing your phone in the river. It’s about intentionality. It’s asking, "Is this tool serving me, or am I serving it?" If you find yourself scrolling through Instagram while your kid is trying to tell you about their day, you know the answer.
Practical Steps Toward a More Human Life
This isn't just theory. You can actually start shifting your perspective today. It doesn't require a radical lifestyle overhaul or moving to a cabin in the woods (unless you want to). It’s about small, consistent choices that prioritize your humanity over your productivity.
First, practice radical presence. When you are eating, just eat. Don't watch a video. Don't check your email. Just taste the food. It’s surprisingly hard to do because we’ve been conditioned to always be doing two things at once. But this simple act pulls you back into your body and out of the digital ether.
Second, embrace boredom. Boredom is the birthplace of creativity. When we fill every silent moment with a podcast or a game, we never give our brains the chance to wander. Try sitting at a bus stop or waiting in line without pulling out your phone. Watch the people around you. Notice the architecture. Let your thoughts drift.
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Third, prioritize physical interaction. If you have the choice between a text and a phone call, choose the call. If you can meet in person, do it. The nuances of human communication—tone of voice, facial expressions, body language—are mostly lost in text. We need those signals to feel safe and connected.
Fourth, lower your expectations of yourself. You don't have to be the best version of yourself every day. Some days, being a person is just about surviving and being kind to the people you encounter. You aren't a project to be solved. You are a human being to be experienced.
Finally, find your "tribe" in real life. Look for groups that meet physically. Whether it’s a book club, a bowling league, or a knitting circle, find people who share an interest and meet them in the real world. The "digital third space" is a myth; we need physical spaces where we can gather without being expected to buy something.
This new way to be human is actually a very old way. It’s a return to the basics: breath, movement, connection, and rest. It’s about realizing that the world won't fall apart if you take a break. In fact, it might finally start to make sense again.
Actionable Next Steps for This Week
- Audit your notifications. Turn off everything that isn't from a real person. No news alerts, no shopping "deals," no social media pings.
- Schedule "analog time." Set aside at least one hour a day where your phone is in another room. Use that time for something tactile: cooking, drawing, walking, or just sitting.
- Say "no" to one thing. Find a commitment or a task that you're only doing out of guilt and drop it. Reclaim that space for yourself.
- Make eye contact with a stranger. Smile at the cashier. Say hello to your neighbor. Re-establish the small social threads that hold a community together.
- Engage in a "useless" activity. Spend 30 minutes doing something you aren't good at and have no intention of mastering. Play. Remember how to do things just for the sake of doing them.
The transition to this new way to be human won't happen overnight. The system we live in is designed to keep us busy, distracted, and lonely. But every time you choose presence over productivity, you're taking a step back toward your true self. You’re proving that you’re more than just a data point. You’re a human being, and that is more than enough.