The word algorithm has become part of our everyday vocabulary. We hear it on the news, read about it online, and blame it when social media seems to know us better than we know ourselves. Yet if someone asked us to define an algorithm, many of us would struggle to explain exactly what it is.
An algorithm is a step-by-step process for solving a problem or reaching a desired outcome. Each step builds on the one before it, helping guide decisions and actions.
Algorithms quietly influence much of our daily lives. When you enter a destination into your GPS, an algorithm evaluates traffic, road conditions, distance, and construction before suggesting the best route. If you miss a turn, it immediately recalculates and offers another path.
Social media uses algorithms to determine which posts, videos, and advertisements appear on your screen. Online shopping sites use algorithms to recommend products based on your previous searches and purchases. Search engines use algorithms to organize billions of pieces of information and present what they believe will be the most relevant results.
Although we interact with algorithms every day, most of us never stop to think about how they work.
Then one day I began asking myself a different question.
If computers use algorithms to process information and produce an outcome, could human beings have an algorithm of their own?
Not one written in computer code.
Not one that removes our individuality.
But one that helps explain how we process life's experiences, make decisions, and move forward.
That question became the beginning of an entirely new journey.
We interact with algorithms every single day, yet most of us never stop to think about them. Ironically, the most fascinating algorithm of all may not be inside our computers.
It may be inside us.