When Intelligence Is Plentiful, Volition Becomes the Ultimate Differentiator
garrytan · x · 2026-08-10
As AI makes raw intelligence abundant and cheap, what will differentiate people is no longer how smart they are, but their relationship with mental effort—what psychologists call the "need for cognition."
The author argues that the people who will make a real impact in the future are not the "cognitive misers" who passively use AI to work less and avoid thinking. Instead, they are the driven individuals who actively wrestle with AI, enjoy thinking hard, and leverage these tools to expand their own mental capabilities and accomplish more.
Related event: Active Thinking Remains Human Core Competence in the Age of AI(2 posts)→
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