We protect our money and identity, so maybe our thinking deserves the same defense.

Cognitive surrender rarely feels like surrender.

As answers become abundant, cognitive independence becomes essential.

We lock our doors before bed. Ring doorbells watch our front porches. Credit card companies flag suspicious transactions before we notice them. Today, we've built elaborate systems to protect us—our money, our privacy, identity, and person. The infrastructure of modern self-protection is ubiquitous and impressive.

So, as artificial intelligence moves deeper into daily life, something else may be worth protecting. It's something we might not have thought of as an asset, but today, it might become one that's central to our very existence. It's the integrity of our own thinking.

Typically, we don't frame cognition that way. Intelligence is something to develop over time. We worry about education, memory, and knowledge. But we spend almost no time asking whether the habits that produce our thoughts can weaken........

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