Author: Mike

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about this incredible wave of AI tools washing over us. It’s super cool, right? Need a quick summary? Boom, AI’s got it. Stuck on a tricky sentence? Zap, AI rewrites it. Want to brainstorm ideas? Bam, a whole list appears.

And honestly, I’ve used it. I’ve played around with these tools, seen their potential, and even felt a little bit of that initial “wow” factor. I’ve started taking courses to see how they are built, what the difference is between training methods, and what are the best ways to integrate them into my workflow. But as the novelty starts to wear off, a nagging question keeps popping into my head: what’s this doing to my brain?

Think about it. Critical thinking isn’t just about knowing facts; it’s about the process. It’s about dissecting information, questioning assumptions, connecting disparate ideas, and forming my own judgments. It’s the mental workout that keeps my mind sharp and adaptable.

Now, if I’m constantly outsourcing that workout to AI, what happens? Do my mental muscles start to atrophy? Will I become so reliant on these digital crutches that I’ll lose the ability to think for myself, to truly analyze and understand the world around me?

It’s not a far-fetched dystopian scenario, in my opinion. Consider how GPS has subtly changed our sense of direction. We used to rely on landmarks, memory, and maybe a paper map. Now, we blindly follow a voice, often without even registering the route. Are we becoming less spatially aware as a result? It’s a valid question. I know I definitely do not have a great sense of direction these days.

The same could be true for critical thinking. If AI is always there to provide the answers, to structure our thoughts, to even generate our creative content, are we slowly eroding our own capacity for independent thought?

I’m not saying we should ditch AI altogether. That would be like trying to un-invent the internet. The genie is out of the bottle, and there are definitely benefits to be had. But we need to be mindful in how we integrate these tools into our lives.

I’ve been thinking a lot about the different ‘switches’ we have in our mind, but when I try to explain it to people they get confused. I’m going to do my best to articulate it here, but feel free to correct/add on in the comments.

There are a lot of things that I would just never do. I would never consider it. For example, I don’t think I’d ever mentally be in the position where I would think that I’d have to murder someone. I would never have to fight against that itch – it’s just a non-negotiable. I have other switches – there are many types of drugs and supplements that I would just never consider. I don’t think I’d ever consider moving to the North Pole. I probably have more switches ‘turned off’ then ‘turned on’.

There are other things I’m working on but I haven’t found the switch yet. I’ve been steadily losing weight over the past couple months (down 40 pounds from my heaviest and 30 pounds since January 1st, 2025) and I still really have to work at it. I have to log my calories, meal prep and plan, and constantly fight hunger pains. I’d love to eat more Pasta and Pizza but I’ve been stuck doing a modified-PSMF program and am frankly sick of eating so much Chicken Breast. I haven’t found the switch.

On the same end – one of the hats I wear in my spare time is I’m a professional musician. Practicing everyday is a slog to me – I have to force myself to do it, and to learn new things instead of just being comfortable with where I am.

In late 2023, I read a book called Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Drinking. I saw it recommended on a podcast, and I was planning on doing Dry January so I figured I’d read it. I’ve read other ‘Sober’ books in the past prior to doing Dry January to get me pumped up – This Naked Mind, Alcohol Explained, etc. This was different though. Starting Dry January 2024, I ended up going to the middle of March (which is unheard of for me – it would probably have been since high school since I went that long) and then did another 11 week stint in the Fall of 2024. Compared to times before, I found it really easy (no pun intended). The book (somehow) flicked the switch for me. I’m currently still doing Dry January 2025 (it’s now the end of the March) and have no inclination to start up again. The switch was flicked.

I have a friend who is trying to quit smoking. She always goes a couple of days and then fails. Life gets in the way, stressful nights, socializing with other smokers – the list of excuses go on. My theory is that she hasn’t found the switch in her brain yet – therefore she keeps trying to white knuckle it. I try to explain it to her but she looks at me like I have two heads.

I’m not sure if there is a process to find the switch, but I’ve started looking at things I’ve been doing with this particular lens. Is there a switch? How did I find it (or not find it).

Perhaps when we are trying to start something or stop something, our time is better spent looking internally for the switch. You’ll know it when you find it.

My friends often tell me I overthink things (what they actually say is they think I might on the spectrum, but what they are really trying to say is that I think deeply). At work, I have been jokingly accused of overengineering tasks or projects that I’ve either been assigned or have created myself out of thin air (affectionally referred to as ‘Mike Inc.’)

I’ve really tried the past year or two to purposely dial this back. Where I’ve seen (to me) in obvious lapses in second-, third- and fourth-order thinking, I’ve kept quiet. To paraphrase an old boss earlier in my career, “You don’t need to always be the smartest person in the conversation.”, so I’ve really tried to dumb myself down. I’ve learned not to correct people when they say something incorrect. Just ‘let them’, as Mel Robbins so affectionally plagerized.

But the problem is it’s exhausting. It’s exhausting letting people eventually come to the conclusion you’ve already made much earlier. I’m starting to think in a lot of areas, one loses their effectiveness when they don’t think deeply about things.

So I invite you to perhaps rethink what you consider overthinking. Maybe overthinking, is just deep thinking. Or what I consider, simply thinking. Maybe people don’t think enough. Especially about things that are important.

Using some personal examples, I have somewhat of a basic financial budget – I know people that think that is over thinking my money. I’ve been on a weight loss journey for a while now – I know people who think it’s overkill to weigh myself everyday and count calories via an app. At work, new intiatives from outside teams pop up all the time, without any thought put into how they affect the current systems at play. That leaves those responsible for execution stuck cleaning up avoidable messes.

I’m not a great chess player – but there is an obvious difference between someone who plays as if they are making one move at a time, and someone who makes moves based on how that is going affect things 3 or 4 moves later.

I’m getting tired of not thinking, so I think I’m going to start again. I invite you to start thinking too, and let’s remove the stigma around overthinking – perhaps they are just thinking at a level that you aren’t. Just because we can’t understand something doesn’t mean we have to label and ridicule it.