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AI tools are a powerful new force. They summarize articles instantly, rewrite sentences, and generate creative ideas on demand. The initial “wow” factor is undeniable. I have used them and am taking courses to understand their inner workings and how to integrate them into my workflow.

But as the novelty fades, a question remains: What is AI doing to our brains?

Critical thinking is a process, not just a result. It’s the mental workout that sharpens our ability to dissect information, question assumptions, and form independent judgments. If we outsource this workout to AI, our mental muscles may atrophy. We risk becoming so reliant on these digital crutches that we lose the ability to think for ourselves.

This is not a dystopian fantasy. Consider how GPS has already changed us. We once used landmarks and memory; now, we blindly follow a voice. Our spatial awareness has diminished as a result.

The same fate could await critical thinking. If AI always provides the answers and structures our thoughts, are we slowly eroding our capacity for independent thought?

We shouldn’t ditch AI. That’s like trying to un-invent the internet. The benefits are clear. The key is to be mindful of how we integrate these tools into our lives.

We all have mental “switches” that determine our actions, but they can be difficult to explain. I’ll do my best to articulate the concept here.

There are some actions I simply will not take. I have “switches” turned off for them. For example, the thought of murdering someone is a non-negotiable. It’s an internal boundary I would never cross. The same goes for many types of drugs, and I would never consider moving to the North Pole. For these issues, I don’t have to fight an urge; the switch is simply off. I believe I have more switches off than on.

But for other challenges, I’m still looking for the switch. I’ve lost 30 pounds this year, but it’s a constant struggle. I track calories, meal prep, and fight hunger daily. I’d love pizza and pasta but I’m tired of eating so much chicken breast on a modified-PSMF program. The switch hasn’t flipped. It’s the same with my music career—practicing is a slog. I have to force myself to do it, to learn new things instead of staying comfortable.

In late 2023, I read a book called Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Drinking. After reading similar books in the past, I started Dry January 2024 expecting the usual struggle. But this was different. The book somehow flipped a switch for me. I went until mid-March, a stretch I hadn’t done since high school. Then I did another 11-week stint in the fall. It was genuinely easy. I am currently in the middle of a new Dry January and have no inclination to start drinking again. The switch was flipped.

This experience led me to a new theory. A friend is trying to quit smoking but always fails after a few days. She white-knuckles it through stress and social situations, but she can’t maintain it. I believe she hasn’t found her switch yet, and I’ve tried to explain it to her, but she looks at me like I have two heads.

I don’t know if there’s a specific process to find these switches, but I have started to examine my life through this lens. Is there a switch for this? How can I find it?

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

Update: Now down 50 pounds – woot!

My friends often say I overthink things. At work, I’ve been jokingly accused of “overengineering” projects. For the last couple of years, I’ve actively tried to dial this back. My goal was to avoid always being the “smartest person in the conversation,” as a former boss once told me. So, when I saw obvious lapses in second- or third-order thinking, I stayed quiet. I learned to just “let them” make mistakes.

But I’ve found this to be exhausting. It’s draining to watch people slowly reach a conclusion you arrived at much earlier. I’m starting to believe that in many areas, you lose your effectiveness when you don’t think deeply about things.

Perhaps it’s time to reframe what we call “overthinking.” Maybe it’s not a flaw, but simply deep thinking. Maybe the real problem is that people don’t think enough, especially about important things.

Consider some personal examples. I have a basic financial budget, which some people view as overthinking my money. On my weight loss journey, I know people who think it’s overkill to weigh myself daily and count calories. At work, new initiatives are often rolled out without any consideration for how they’ll impact existing systems, leaving others to clean up avoidable messes.

I’m not a great chess player, but I know there’s a clear difference between someone who plays one move at a time and someone who plans three or four moves ahead.

I’m tired of not thinking, so I’m going to start again. I invite you to do the same. Let’s remove the stigma around “overthinking.” Perhaps people aren’t overthinking—they are just thinking at a level you aren’t. We shouldn’t label and ridicule what we don’t understand.