The 6 Levels of Awareness (and where you fit)

I came across this framework from Scott Adams (the guy behind Dilbert) and it hit me hard, reshaping how I think about life and conflict.

He calls it "Levels of Awareness". I see it as a practical lens for spotting why some people get stuck while others pull off the impossible. I had to share it because it's been eye-opening for me.

Here's the breakdown, with thoughts on moving up each level. See if it resonates with you.

Innocent Level

You're trusting everything at face value, like a kid believing whatever authorities say (parents, news, experts). It's simple, but leaves you wide open.

How to level up

Reality throws curveballs, like discovering lies or inconsistencies. That jolt pushes you to start seeking "real" facts, landing you as a Truther.

Truther Level

Truth is your anchor. You've been burned, so now you chase the unfiltered story, convinced facts will set everything straight.

But watch out: This can slide into...

Victim Level

...where you're hyper-aware of manipulation but trapped by it. Media and leaders feed you "truths" that divide and dis-empower, keeping you in reactive mode, blaming systems or groups.

How to level up

Lean on real-world experience (or a mentor who cuts through the noise - use them like a temporary scaffold to build your own critical thinking muscles, not a reversion to blind faith). Stop buying into pre-packaged narratives. Default to skepticism. Question it all.

Skeptic Level

Everything gets scrutinized. You avoid traps by rejecting assumptions, but it's defensive; you're better at debunking than building.

How to level up

Pivot to practicality. Ask "What actually works?" instead of just spotting flaws. Experiment with skills, systems, and connections that yield results. That's Strategist territory.

Strategist Level

Truth takes a backseat to outcomes. You focus on proven tools: stacking talents, using systems over vague goals, networking smartly. It's about getting results, not debates.

How to level up

The key shift is to accept that absolute truth is often unknowable, subjective, or twisted. This is becoming more and more pronounced with AI where you can no longer trust the sources. Release that grip, and it unlocks bolder moves.

Think of it as upgrading your mental OS: once you're not bogged down by "proving" every fact (that's not provable without the information you can't access), you start noticing patterns in how reality bends for certain people. Practice by setting an audacious goal that defies conventional logic, then reverse-engineer the steps with persuasion and iteration, ignoring naysayers.

Study people who seem to rewrite reality (Adams calls out Trump, Cernovich, Naval, Musk). Watch for their "how", not their "what". Start shaping your own path with vision and persistence.

Author Level

You're influencing reality like it's a script you control. Through persuasion, momentum, and ignoring "impossible", you make things happen that shouldn't. You unlock the level of controls that looks like magic. You see "the matrix".

Adams frames this as a filter, not a strict hierarchy, and its value is in how it helps you. Useful, not true. For me, it feels like a call to level up. If it sparks something for you, give it a shot.

Cheers, Zvonimir