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Three Important Steps in My Maturation Process

Thomas Dullien reflects on key realizations from his early 20s to present that shaped his worldview, including understanding personal incentive structures, accepting limitations on predicting impact, and navigating complex ethical dilemmas in security work.

thomasdullien.github.io →

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Challenges

AI is removing the middle class of software engineering Dullien's acceptance of limited ability to predict impact challenges the deterministic framing in 'AI removing the middle class'—his maturation narrative cautions against confident predictions about who wins or loses in technological transitions

Related to

Why some people mow a lawn better than others Both pieces use mundane or personal examples to explore deeper principles about motivation, incentive alignment, and the gap between doing something and doing it well for the right reasons
I Should Have Loved Biology Both are reflective essays on intellectual maturation and the regret/recognition of having overlooked important domains due to framing or incentive structures rather than genuine understanding

Supports

Understanding is the new bottleneck Dullien's emphasis on understanding personal incentive structures as a prerequisite for clear thinking aligns with the argument that 'understanding is the new bottleneck'—both foreground epistemic self-awareness
Ironies of Automation Dullien's reflection on unpredictability of impact parallels the Ironies of Automation thesis that human oversight introduces new failure modes—both grapple with unintended consequences of well-intentioned actions

Challenged by

Confessions of a Neotenous Man Caplan explicitly rejects conventional maturation narratives—prioritizing fun over duties and resisting 'growing up'—directly challenging the value of the maturation process the other piece celebrates

Type:	link
First published:	Saturday, 22 August 2026 at 15:46 UTC
Location:	https://thomasdullien.github.io/posts/2026-08-21-three-important-steps-in-my-maturation-process/
URL:	https://mattwood.fyi/i/b4f890b8

I'm Matt Wood, and this is For Your Information. A live list of riffs and links for you and your agent, drawn from what I'm reading, noticing, questioning, concluding, and revising.

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