Everyone’s a thought leader. Almost no one is thinking.
The article critiques the current state of LinkedIn, arguing that it has devolved into a platform where superficial attempts at thought leadership dominate. It emphasizes the importance of genuine thinking over the lazy repackaging of ideas facilitated by AI tools. The author encourages individuals to disconnect from social media and engage in deep, personal reflection and reading instead.
- ▪LinkedIn has shifted from meaningful exchanges to a focus on superficial thought leadership.
- ▪Many users resort to AI-generated content rather than original thinking.
- ▪The article advocates for deep thinking and personal reflection over the pursuit of being seen as a thought leader.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Everyone's a thought leader. Almost no one is thinking. May 13, 2026 LinkedIn has never been a great social network, but in the not-so-distant past, there was a time where people put effort into curating their personal image and brand. Sometimes there would even be some sort of meaningful exchange between individuals. That ship has long sailed. LinkedIn is still useful for finding a job, but the social aspect is an unusable cesspool of AI slop, and has been for quite a while. One core problem is that folks on LinkedIn want to be seen as thought leaders. If you aren’t trying to be a thought leader, are you even trying at life? The cost of attempting to become a thought leader has never been cheaper.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Bernste.
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