Templates Are Tyranny
We’re obsessed with templates. Fill-in-the-blank solutions for complex problems.
Templates promise certainty in an uncertain world. They’re the fast food of thinking – convenient, predictable, but ultimately unsatisfying.
Especially when it comes to AI.
Everyone wants the perfect prompt template. The magical combination of words that will make artificial intelligence dance to their tune.
But AI isn’t a vending machine. It’s more like a conversation partner with its own quirks, capabilities, and limitations.
Templates teach us to stop thinking. They transform dynamic interactions into mechanical transactions.
Fill in slot A with your objective.
Insert your context in slot B.
Add constraints in slot C.
Press send and wait for results.
This is not how intelligence works – artificial or otherwise.
Real intelligence requires adaptation. Understanding. Nuance.
When we rely on templates, we outsource our thinking. We stop asking important questions:
What am I really trying to achieve?
Why am I approaching it this way?
What assumptions am I making?
What might I be missing?
Templates are training wheels. Useful when starting out, but limiting if you never take them off.
The most powerful AI interactions come from understanding principles, not memorizing patterns.
Principles free you to think.
Templates tell you what to think.
Principles evolve with experience.
Templates stay static.
Principles spark creativity.
Templates stifle it.
The future belongs to those who can think fluidly, adapt quickly, and engage meaningfully with AI.
Not those who can best fill in the blanks.
Breaking free from templates isn’t easy. It means embracing uncertainty. Taking responsibility for your thinking. Being willing to experiment and fail.
But that’s where the magic happens.
That’s where you discover what AI can really do.
That’s where you find your own voice.
Templates are tyranny.
Freedom is learning to think for yourself.
The blank page isn’t your enemy.
It’s your opportunity.
