Friction-maxxing preserves essential human cognitive and social capacities threatened by AI convenience

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/gabyhinsliff. "I baulked at the idea of ‘friction-maxxing’. But there’s more to it than meets the eye | Gaby Hinsliff | The Guardian." April 10, 2026. www.theguardian.com

The Gist

The author argues we should sometimes choose harder ways of doing things because the mental effort keeps our brains sharp and helps us connect better with others. While AI makes life easier, it might be making us worse at thinking for ourselves and dealing with people.

Conclusion

We should embrace 'friction-maxxing' - deliberately choosing more effortful ways of doing things - because friction is essential for learning, thinking, emotional regulation, and meaningful human connection

Premises

1. AI tools replace mental rather than physical labor, potentially making us less competent at independent problem-solving and creative thinking
2. Research shows that cognitive effort and struggle are necessary for learning - 'your brain needs friction to learn'
3. Effortful processes like manual transcription or handwriting letters force us to slow down, think more deeply, and make better connections
4. Friction helps with emotional regulation by preventing impulsive actions and encouraging reflection
5. Human relationships, parenting, and democracy all inherently involve friction, and removing it diminishes our capacity for patience and engagement with others
6. What appears to be menial work is often integral to the thinking and creative process

Assumptions

• Convenience and efficiency are not inherently good if they diminish human capacities
• Mental effort and struggle have intrinsic value beyond their immediate outcomes
• AI tools will continue to expand into personal life as they have in professional contexts
• Humans can consciously choose to resist technological convenience when it serves their wellbeing
• The skills developed through friction (patience, deep thinking, emotional regulation) are essential for human flourishing

View this argument on LogicFirst.ai