đ§ When AI Feels Hard, Itâs Usually Because Weâre Treating It Like Weâre Being Tested
Most of us donât struggle with AI because itâs confusing. We struggle because, subconsciously, we think weâre being evaluated. Evaluated on how well we prompt.On whether we âget it.âOn whether weâre using it the right way. So we tighten up. We overthink our inputs.We hesitate to experiment.We quietly assume everyone else understands this better than we do. That pressure doesnât come from AI itself.It comes from the mental frame we bring into the interaction. And until we change that frame, AI will continue to feel heavier than it needs to. ---- Why We Turn AI Into a Performance ---- Most tools weâve used throughout our careers rewarded correctness. You followed steps. You learned the system.You mastered the interface. Once you knew how it worked, results were predictable. So when AI entered the picture, we carried that same expectation forward. We assumed there was a right way to interact with it. A correct prompt. A level of fluency we were supposed to reach before we could rely on it. But AI doesnât reward mastery in the traditional sense. It responds to engagement. When we approach it like a test, every imperfect output feels like a personal failure. When we approach it like a system that needs to be guided, those same outputs become information. The friction isnât the technology.Itâs the invisible pressure we place on ourselves. ---- The Shift: From Performing to Participating ---- The most effective AI users arenât trying to sound smart. Theyâre trying to be clear. They donât aim for perfection on the first input. They expect to shape the result over time. That mindset changes behavior immediately. Instead of asking, âDid I prompt this correctly?âThey ask, âWhat can I clarify next?â Instead of stopping when output misses the mark, They respond, refine, and redirect. This is the moment AI stops feeling like a judge and starts feeling like a collaborator. Not because the tool changed.Because the relationship did. ---- Language Isnât a Command, Itâs a Steering Wheel ----