Monday, June 22, 2026
Learning to write on your own is good exercise for your mind
There’s a steep hill at the end of the block that goes through a park with a nice view of the city. It’s the equivalent of about six blocks long.
At one time, I would be huffing and puffing by the time I got to the top. If my wife was with me, I would jokingly tell her to leave me for dead.
But after a few months of taking on this hill multiple times a week, I was able to make it to the top with little change in my breath. I’m no spring chicken, so this was quite the accomplishment.
I tell this story because I believe that most people would agree that the more you exercise, the easier it gets. Or at least they believe this when it comes to their bodies. When it comes to their minds, though, that belief seems to fall by the wayside.
There is a new type of app that I’m seeing a lot of that uses AI to autocomplete your sentences. Not just a word or two, but entire sentences. Developers promise that these apps sound human and no one will ever know the difference.
Some examples are Cotypist, Cotabby and GhostPen. Thanks to vibe coding, there plenty of others being churned out.
Why are they so popular? I’m guessing they appeal to people who want to write faster. Instead of typing out the words, you can just hit tab and have the app to drop them in for you. They might also consider themselves to be poor writers and appreciate the app making them look a bit smarter.
So how does this relate to the hill at the end of the block?
Well, I suppose I would have bought an e-bike and got to the top a lot more easily. But what would I have accomplished? I would have been just as out of shape as ever. And I would have given up on self-reliance.
AI autocompletion apps encourage your mind to be dull and slow. The best way to get better at writing, as with anything in life, is to practise, practise, practise. Soon you’ll find you can express yourself clearly not only for others but also for your own well-being because you’re forced to organize your thoughts.
It gets easier and faster, just like it would with AI, but also something more. It becomes original. You’ll have the satisfaction of not just sounding like a human, but of sounding like the unique human that is you.
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