BEING HUMAN STILL MATTERS
- Derek Hagen
- Jul 24, 2025
- 2 min read
❝People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.❞ -Theodore Roosevelt
The future isn’t less human. It actually calls for more humanity.
You probably know what it feels like to get great advice...and still not act on it.
Maybe you’ve told yourself to spend less, eat better, or finally have that hard conversation. You knew what to do. But knowing wasn’t the problem.
Now imagine asking AI the same question. It gives you smart, logical answers. Clear action steps. And still, nothing changes.
That’s not because the advice was bad. It’s because advice, no matter how brilliant, isn’t enough by itself.
If you're interested in values-based financial planning, here's how to work with a financial life planner.
AI CAN INFORM, BUT NOT CONNECT
AI is everywhere now. It can help organize your finances, track your spending, optimize your insurance, and even sound kind of empathetic in a chatbot.
So it’s fair to ask: If AI can do all that, what’s left for humans?
AI doesn’t notice when you feel embarrassed about your spending. It doesn’t catch the moment your partner holds back tears. It can’t sense what you’re not saying, but maybe need to.
WHEN ALL ADVICE STARTS TO SOUND THE SAME
There was a time when advice varied depending on who you asked. Now, it’s easier than ever to get high-quality answers quickly and from anywhere.
But when information is easy to get, it starts to feel… ordinary. The same ideas, the same tips, the same logic—just repackaged.
And when advice feels like a commodity, what we really want rises to the top: to feel understood.
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Money Scripts® are subconscious beliefs we have about money that we learn these we are growing up in our family systems. A Money Script can be anything, but they tend to fall into four categories. Learn what categories your Money Scripts fall into. |
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BEING UNDERSTOOD IS THE NEW ADVANTAGE
Even if two people get the exact same financial plan, their experience can be completely different.
It’s not about how optimized it is. It’s about how understood they feel.
We don’t usually walk away from conversations thinking, “That was the best spreadsheet I’ve ever seen.”
We remember the ones where we say:
“They really got me.”
“I felt heard.”
“I didn’t feel judged.”
In a world filled with information and automation, our ability to connect is what makes the difference. Empathy, curiosity, and presence aren’t just soft skills. They’re human ones.
And they’re still what people value most.
You get one life; live intentionally.
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REFERENCES AND INFLUENCES
Hefferon, Kate & Ilona Boniwell: Positive Psychology
Klontz, Brad, Rick Kahler & Ted Klontz: Facilitating Financial Health
Miller, William: Listening Well
Miller, William: On Second Thought
Reivich, Karen & Andrew Shatte: The Resilience Factor
Rosenberg, Marshall: Nonviolent Communication
Sofer, Oren Jay: Say What You Mean
