The Cognitive Loan

Every time you ask an AI to write for you, you're taking out a cognitive loan.

The interest compounds silently.

Here's what's happening: When we outsource thinking to LLMs, we're not just saving time. We're skipping the neural pathways that encode lasting memory.

Think about it.

You write a draft with AI help. The words look perfect. But a week later? The ideas feel distant, borrowed, like reading someone else's notes.

This isn't about AI being good or bad.

It's about cognitive debt.

Every shortcut today costs future understanding.

Each AI-generated phrase replaces a neural connection you would have built.

But here's the thing…

You can flip this pattern.

Write first drafts without AI. Let your brain build those pathways. Then use AI for editing and enhancement.

Same output quality.

Different cognitive outcome.

The tools aren't going away.

But your memory architecture is yours to protect.

The question now is… are you building debt or equity in your own mind?

(Check back with me in a week. See which parts stuck.)