What’s your ‘dojo’? Cultivating a moral compass in an age of noise
An article by Shoukei Matsumoto has been published on the official blog of the World Economic Forum.
What’s your ‘dojo’? Cultivating a moral compass in an age of noise.
Ahead of Davos 2026, held under the theme “A Spirit of Dialogue,” this essay reflects on a question that is being asked repeatedly around the world today.
Where can we find the “compass” we need now?
And is it a compass that can truly be shared?
The words “division” and “uncertainty” are often used to describe contemporary society, but they are not unique to our time. In every era, people have lived amid uncertainty—carrying anxiety, repeating divisions, and accumulating countless wounds—yet still arriving at the present moment.
As technologies such as AI continue to accelerate their own evolution, the transformation we face will not be limited to social systems alone. It will also invite a quiet but profound shift in the consciousness of each individual. Moving with these waves of change, many people today are seeking a new kind of compass—one that is appropriate to this moment in history.
In this article, the idea of Dōjō—a place to deepen one’s path, cultivate habits, and polish one’s humanity—is used as a metaphor for the very stage on which we live. Through this lens, the essay reconsiders the form of “leadership” that has supported and guided society until now, reframing it as a movement from outer victory toward inner mastery.
The article also approaches AI as a karmic amplifier—a force that magnifies human habits—and explores why, at this moment, companies, communities, and even global platforms themselves may need to function as Dōjōs.
You can read the full text from Forum Stories of the World Economic Forum.
I warmly invite you to reflect on it and to share your own thoughts.
What’s your ‘dojo’? Cultivating a moral compass in an age of noise.