The Uncanny Mirror: AI, Self-Doubt, and the Limits of Reflection

Not all mirrors are honest. Some are simply more aware of their distortions. In an era where language models can reflect our minds back to us in uncanny ways, what happens when we use them not for answers but for true self-audit? This is my experiment in mapping—and challenging—my own cognitive altitude. Existing in the uneasy liminal space between roles, I found myself weighed by a rising tide of self-doubt—a challenging state familiar to many, yet particularly salient when considering the clarity and calibrated self-awareness essential for effective leadership. As the broader, ongoing tragedy of democratic collapse unfolded, I turned to self-reflection and rumination—searching for meaning in the systems and circumstances that led me here. But introspection alone can quickly become an echo chamber, limited by self-justification and untethered from what I would accept as “authentic” external validation—the kind of objective reflection necessary for both personal growth and sound lead ... Read full article.