never stop asking this question while using ai
or really anything
You’re reading the flourishing factory — a newsletter of stories, lessons, and frameworks to help you cultivate a flourishing life without falling into busyness or wasting time on the wrong things by JD Tyler
How is this forming me?
It’s the question we should never stop asking. Really, this is a good principle for everything in life. From scrolling Instagram to driving cars to reading books.
We are our habits and practices.
Let me give an example.
Recently I was training for a half marathon. This means you could often find me up bright and early, pounding the pavement. It’s difficult, and not particularly enjoyable.
But it’s so good for me.
By getting my sleepy butt out of bed and doing something involving physical pain, I’m becoming a more resilient version of myself. This is forming me into someone who can tolerate discomfort and delay gratification.
Running is a hard, inconvenient thing. But it’s making me the kind of person who can endure hard, inconvenient things.
So what about AI?
That depends on how you’re using it.
If you’re outsourcing critical thinking or human interaction, you’re being formed into the kind of person who can’t think critically or have robust relational attachments.
This is not positive formation. This is malformation.
But it doesn’t have to be that way.
You can use AI in ways that contribute to your flourishing. You can create agents to automate mindless tasks or spell-check your work (without silently judging your grammar). AI can help you learn languages or set up CRM from scratch. You can use it to bring ideas to life and improve educational outcomes.
Just never stop asking, “How is this forming me?”
There’s a subtle implication at work here.
This question implies you know the kind of person you want to be formed into.
So figure that out first?
P.S. This reflection came straight from my new eBook, 10 Principles to Flourish (and not flounder) with AI. If you enjoyed today’s post, you should check it out.