[2026 New Year's Greeting] A Year to Build a 'Breakwater for Thought' — Three Vows to Avoid Being Swallowed by the Vortex of Information

Happy New Year to all our readers.

While I am sure there will be times this year when we feel lost in the waves of information, I hope that together we can carefully verify the facts one by one and make this a year of learning from each other.

Looking back at last year, 2025, it was a year where our very "cognition" was exposed to unprecedented threats, such as the rapid evolution of generative AI and the acceleration of social division caused by SNS algorithms.

Fake news and conspiracy theories are no longer "fires on the other side of the river." They are a form of "Cognitive Warfare" that is being played out daily in the palms of our hands (our smartphones).

As we welcome the new year, I would like to share "three guidelines (New Year's Resolutions)" that I have derived from analyzing a vast amount of data, which we should keep in mind this year.

These are modern self-defense techniques to protect your "free will" from the muddy torrent of information.

1. Be most vigilant against "comfortable information"

Unconsciously, we fall into the trap of "confirmation bias," where we only collect information we want to believe and exclude information we do not.

SNS algorithms amplify this tendency, trying to lock us inside an "echo chamber" where only "opinions similar to our own" resonate.

This year's vow:

When your emotions are stirred, thinking "That's exactly right!" or "I can't forgive this!", please ask yourself, "Isn't this just stimulating my own bias?"

"Critical thinking is not just about affirming, but also about negating." The seeds of growth are hidden in the "inconvenient facts" for you.

2. Shifting from "intuition" to "deliberation"

According to insights from behavioral economics, human thinking consists of an intuitive and fast "System 1" and a logical and slow "System 2."

Fake news and misinformation stir our emotions and attempt to hack directly into "System 1 (intuition)." The moment we feel "anger" or "anxiety" and react immediately, there is a possibility that we are already being manipulated.

This year's vow:

Sleep on it for a night. Verify the primary source. Creating this "time lag" is the only way to restore reason. It is said that the spread of misinformation is six times faster than the truth, but by taking a breath, we can break that chain.

3. Adopt the mindset of a 'scout,' not a 'soldier'

In arguments, we often tend to become soldiers defending our own positions. When countered, we feel attacked and become stubborn.

However, what is needed to discern the truth is the mindset of a scout who accurately grasps the terrain (facts) and creates a map.

This year's vow:

Admitting that you were wrong is not a defeat. It is 'progress' in obtaining a more accurate map.

Those who can flexibly update their perspectives, saying 'I see, that is another way to look at it,' are the ones who possess the true intelligence to survive this uncertain era.

In conclusion

Modern warfare has transformed into a battle where the main theater is not territory, but the 'human brain.'

The weapons to survive this invisible war are not expensive systems or AI, but each of our own 'power to doubt' and 'intellectual integrity.'

Information should not be something we 'consume,' but something we actively 'verify.'

May 2026 be a fruitful year for all of you, where the fog of fakes and biases clears, and you are filled with 'truth.'

I look forward to your continued support of this blog this year.

(Created using Gemini Deep Research and NotebookLM)