Book Introduction
Why I Love — Eight practices to stay human in an age of machines
“I thought I had to be a well-optimized machine to succeed. Turns out, I just needed to be human.”
When I was eighteen, I ran for office dreaming of changing the world. Instead, I burned out. For years, I felt limited by labels and my own DNA, believing I wasn’t built for the life I wanted.
Later, I started a company and produced psychology content reaching millions on YouTube, yet I still felt unfulfilled: I felt constant stress to be better than others, and never satisfied. It forced me to ask: What is the meaning of life?
I wanted to live for something more. In Barcelona, I began researching love. I learned that love is not a passive feeling, but a conscious practice that helps me transcend my personal limits and step into my higher self.
This book is for you if you want to discover your meaning of life and learn how love can transform it.
Layer 1 · The Outer Persona & Ego
The 16 Personalities Test
“That is your ego, your persona, the role you have learned to play in life.”
Many are interested in their personality type or astrology sign. That is your ego, your persona, the role you have learned to play in life. Your beliefs about yourself shape your behavior.
Others would describe me as a disciplined finisher who completes every task before starting the next.
Layer 2 · Mindset & Perception
The Cognitive Functions Test
“Your thoughts are information, not your identity.”
Your thoughts and mindset influence your behavior. It is easy to start identifying with your thoughts when your thoughts are just meant to be information. This test studies your thoughts and beliefs.
I tend to think a lot about original ideas and fresh, unconventional angles.
Layer 3 · Instincts & Traumas
The Enneagram Test
“Recognize what your emotional body and instincts protect.”
Your emotions and how you respond to them inform you about your needs and wants and teach you about your traumas and limiting beliefs.
When I feel pushed around or controlled, it triggers a strong desire to take charge and fight for my independence.
Layer 4 · Ideal Meaning
The Values Assessment
“What gives your life meaning beyond personal preferences and old conditioning?”
Your values represent your ideal conceptions of who you could be and what your best life looks like. This test is meant to help you clarify what gives your life meaning beyond personal preferences and old conditioning.
It is important for me that my job is aligned with my personal beliefs.
Why I Built Personalitopia
My name is Erik Thor, and I have three goals with this website. The first is to help myself to reimagine who I am and can be beyond what I know or think about myself today. The second goal is to challenge limiting thoughts and beliefs, to achieve a more objective idea of the world around me. The third goal is to help myself manage my emotions and regulate my nervous system better, so that I can act with more clarity. My hope is that we can have a conversation about who we can be at our best – if we live in accordance with our highest values.
My thoughts, emotions, ideas and sensations, they are just information – not who I am. My ego is just what I have observed or understood about myself – not who I am. Who am I? I’ll find out more about that, with every day that I get to live on this beautiful planet.
Erik Thor
Practical Self-Discovery Without Stereotypes
Overcoming limiting masks
I used to feel trapped in a four letter code, and before that, I was trapped by my own expectations on who I thought I had to be. The 16 personalities can help us understand who we are or have become today. But you are not seeing the full complexity of your life and your history, and you are not yet aware of what is possible for you in the future.
Seeing through limiting beliefs
Sometimes, my thoughts tell me that the world is and works a certain way, and sometimes, I believe that is the truth. But life has shown me that the world is far more complex than any of my black and white thoughts.
Why I Love — Staying Human in an Age of Machines
For many years, I thought self-improvement was about trying to become someone impressive or achieve enough to prove my worth. I was a politician seeking votes, a YouTuber seeking views, and a programmer seeking a salary. I was obsessed with who I thought I had to become to live a good life. Why I Love — Eight practices to stay human in an age of machines is my new book on moving away from that optimization trap toward conscious care, accepting myself, and genuinely loving my life.
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About Erik Thor
As a programmer, psychologist, and author, I build these tools to help us observe our inner operating systems with clarity and compassion.
I have used these insights in my own life to navigate difficult transitions, find meaningful work, and build deeply honest relationships. I want to share everything I have learned with you, and I also want to learn from your experiences. Send me a message or share your thoughts anytime.
A Question for You
How has understanding your personality patterns helped you? What kind of practical guides or tools would help you most right now?