Atrophy - Mental Model: Use It or Lose It

A reminder that we are biological creatures.

May 14, 2026

It’s 2009, and I’m at university. I’m repeating the final maths exam on integrals. It’s my second and last chance to pass it – and luckily I do.

Back to the present day. This morning I saw calculations of integrals in a magazine, and I realised that I’m no longer able to solve any of them. It was possible 17 years ago, but I lost it.

In biology, there is a mechanism called atrophy, where an organism actively loses what it doesn’t use.

Living organisms have to be extremely resource-efficient. The fittest survived over the years of evolution. It’s not just about physical capabilities, but also cognitive ones. I was able to solve integrals and didn’t need to use the calculator for bigger numbers. Now I can’t do any of it.

Thought experiment: Which of your cognitive or professional skills will atrophy in the next 3 years if you don't use them?
My three: writing code without AI, negotiating salaries, and reading dense text end-to-end without skimming.

I work on articles with my English teacher, but also with AI to iterate over them via “act as a professional editor” prompts. I don’t let it write by itself. I found seeing perfectly crafted sentences discouraging, as I’m often not that clear. Formulating my thoughts in a written form is my baseline. Thinking on paper, without any LLM involvement, is my default, and I don’t want to lose this practice.

Atrophy doesn’t happen overnight. The process of deterioration is slow. Every action you take is a “vote” (my favourite analogy from Atomic Habits) showing your biology what it needs to maintain or grow. The next time you write a prompt, think about what kind of atrophy it can cause.

Vote wisely.

Thanks for reading,
— Michał

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P.S. Consider this wordplay: You might win an “AI-trophy” for early and extensive adoption, but the hidden cost might be “AI-atrophy”, the slow cognitive deterioration.

P.P.S. Decision-making is the cognitive skill I guard the most from atrophy. On June 2nd, I’m running a live masterclass where you can work on a real decision you’re stuck on. You can join here.