Expect Friction. Build systems accordingly.
The last two years have been difficult and I've slowly realized that most of the frustration I feel comes from expecting the world to work the way I think it should instead of the way it actually does.
Insurance claims.
Death benefits.
Free trials.
Debt negotiations.
Employment agreements.
Government paperwork.
The common theme isn't that everyone is out to get you.
The common theme is friction.
Forms get lost.
Processes take longer than they should.
Clauses lurk in fine print that most of us never read.
Recently, I've been trying to approach this differently.
Expect Friction. Build systems accordingly.
One of the more practical uses I've found for AI isn't writing content or generating images.
It's helping me find the friction before it becomes a problem.
I'll ask ChatGPT to review a contract, Terms of Service, or similar document:
• What auto-renews?
• How do I cancel?
• What deadlines matter?
• What refund restrictions exist?
• What obligations am I agreeing to?
AI isn't perfect and it absolutely gets things wrong.
But it's often the difference between reading 40 pages and knowing where to spend 10 minutes of attention.
The lesson isn't really about AI.
The lesson is that modern life is increasingly too complicated to navigate on willpower alone.
Build systems.
Use tools.
Expect Friction.
What friction have you learned to plan for instead of fight?
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