What does it mean to feel human?
The shape of thoughts — a first-of-its-kind, social experiment. An exploration of our internal landscapes.
Blending academic insight, introspection, playful reflection, and art. The shape of thoughts is part of a wider investigation into a simple question: What does it feel like to be inside someone else’s head?
The mental health movement has given us more ways to speak openly about our experiences. But many of the labels we use — anxious, depressed, ADHD, OCD, narcissistic, avoidant — are deficit-oriented. What if we could get more creative?
Labels can be self-fulfilling. If we tell ourselves we are a certain way, our minds will look for proof and live into that reality. Our self-assessment shapes our becoming.
So how do we see ourselves with more awe? How do we marvel at the colours of our internal worlds — and extend that same wonder to others? If we approach each other with the desire to truly see inside, will that change the way we listen?
Could listening become the new mindfulness?
How it works
We’ll start with a core group — people I’ve selected, representing a diverse mix of my friends and contacts. Many have already shared a wide range of answers to similar questions over the years.
They’ll answer the first round of prompts by speaking with me directly — mostly via voice notes — and will respond to both qualitative and quantitative questions. These will explore their inner experiences, and (if they choose) how others experience them.
These questions are designed to spark both self-conversation and deeper conversations with others — a new kind of dialogue around mental health that centres creativity and curiosity, rather than pathology.
All responses will be publicly displayed, but completely anonymised. My hope is to build something rich and alive — a conversation that goes both ways, where we ask you, you ask us, and together we refine through feedback and iteration.
Anchoring our data: the Sim Self To help us ground people’s responses in something meaningful, we’re using the Big Five personality test as a starting point. Participants will receive this test for free, along with others — the Enneagram, DISC, and Leadership Styles.
We know these tests are sometimes seen as “soft science,” but the point here is to look at them in the aggregate — to see what patterns might emerge when we place all these markers side by side. In preparing for this project, I interviewed a doctor who specialises in personality. They told me that while the Big Five is considered the most reputable, even it can be challenged. So, let’s hold that in mind — and also recognise that these tools can still offer value: a shared language, a loose grouping, and an insight into how we see ourselves.
In the spirit of inclusivity — and by request — we’re also adding star signs and natal charts. If there are other lenses you’d like us to include, let us know. Our aim is to create a fuller picture that honours every perspective.
This project has been deeply considered over years of fascination with academic frameworks and approaches to unpacking complex questions. In consulting with multiple academics, the advice was to keep this research in the public sphere. Because it is purely owned by us, we can explore any direction we choose, with no limitations on the questions we can ask. While we lean on the work of giants, we are free to shape the project as it evolves — which is why I’m so excited to hear other people’s perspectives on how they would guide us in exploring these questions.
Ways to get involved
If you’d like to take part — just leave your name and email below. I’ll be in touch with a few simple next steps.