About Amy
I've been noticing patterns in human behavior for about 30 years now. Not because I set out to develop some grand theory, but because I couldn't help seeing the same conflicts play out over and over - in boardrooms, in families, in my own life.
What started as curiosity became something more systematic when I realized there was a question that changed everything: "What need are they trying to meet?" Sounds simple, right? But here's what I discovered... most of our worst decisions, our biggest regrets, our most painful stuck places - they all come from the same source. We get trapped between what we need as humans and what we believe is right. And we don't even realize we're in a trap.
The pattern I couldn't unsee
Once you notice that Romeo and Juliet were doomed not by fate but by a values-needs conflict, you start seeing it everywhere. Hamlet paralyzed between survival and justice. Jean Valjean stealing bread. Your coworker sabotaging their own promotion. That fight you keep having with your partner... It's all the same pattern, just wearing different costumes.
What you'll find here
I'm working on several things simultaneously (because life is too interesting not to be overextended):
Heroes & Stories - I keep finding the same patterns in every story worth telling... Romeo and Juliet, Wonder Woman, your favorite novel - they're all about values-needs conflicts. Here's where I dig into heroes (real and fictional), analyze why certain stories grab us, and share what I'm discovering in my research. Sometimes it ruins the story. Usually it makes it better.
Theory & Practice - The tools I've developed for getting unstuck when every choice feels wrong. Not abstract theory - practical stuff that actually works. This is where I dive deep into the theoretical work I’m doing, and how the theory can be put into practice to achieve remarkable results.
Tools & Systems - What happens when you take philosophical frameworks and actually build things with them? Heroes Life OS, AI research systems, decision-making tools... I'm creating practical applications for navigating life systematically. Some work beautifully. Some explode spectacularly. Both are worth sharing.
Build in Public - The behind-the-scenes reality of trying to research and analyze 1000+ heroes with AI while building frameworks and occasionally questioning my sanity (and Claude’s). Failed prompts, breakthrough moments, the actual process of creating research systems from scratch. It's messy.
That's kind of the point.
Tangents - The stuff that doesn't fit in neat categories but won't leave me alone. Musings on AI, living with a brain injury, art as problem-solving, random pattern recognition, whatever grabbed my attention this week. Not systematic, not planned, just... interesting detours that felt worth sharing.
Resources - Stuff that actually helps when you're stuck. The values-needs assessment that shows where your conflicts hide, framework guides that make sense, tools I've built or found useful. No inspirational quotes or generic advice - just practical things for practical problems. (Not out yet, but soon…!)
Connect & Explore
- 🔬 Formal research: Axiomatic Insights
- 🎯 Free assessment: Coming Soon!
- 💪 Be part of the community by participating in the comments section
-📝 Subscribers help fund the research, writing and tools. If you enjoy what you find here, please support this work with a subscription.
One Last Thing
I believe every human is living their own hero's journey. The question isn't whether you'll face seemingly impossible challenges - you will. The question is whether you'll have the frameworks to navigate them successfully. Let's find path forward together.
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P.S. Got a specific question? Have a topic you’d like me to write about? Reply to any email. I read every single one.
