The goats were fighting again.

I was trying to sort out a small programming bug while keeping one eye on the kids outside. Somewhere between chicken feed and line 84 of my code, one of the kids ran up and asked:

“Papa, how do I spell ‘galaxy’?”

I paused. I knew the answer, obviously. But something inside me said: don’t answer — not yet.

“How do you think it’s spelled?”

She looked at me, scrunched up her face, then wandered off mumbling letters to herself.

It would’ve taken two seconds to tell her. But instead, I gave her something far more valuable: the space to think.

But AI Saves Time… Right?

Everyone’s saying it now.

AI is going to save us time, increase productivity, automate everything.

And they’re right. On paper, at least.

It’ll draft your emails, code your app, do your homework, summarize your meetings, and even parent your kids (if you let it).

But here’s the uncomfortable truth:

Time saved isn’t always growth gained.

Sometimes, what you save in minutes… you lose in mental muscle.

Because if you outsource every moment of figuring things out, you end up outsourcing your ability to think — and with it, the very thing that makes you human.

A Professor’s Warning

There’s a mathematician — a professor from Carnegie Mellon — who’s spent years teaching math at every level: Olympiad teams, public schools, under-resourced communities.

And he’s noticed something:

We’ve trained students to complete, not to contemplate.

They want the answer. Fast. They want to be told what to do — not how to think.

And the education system? It rewards them for it.

That’s a problem. Especially now, when Ai tools make it even easier to bypass the struggle — to skip the slow, clumsy, mind-sharpening part of learning.

Psychology Agrees: The Process Builds You

In a recent study from the University of Pennsylvania (shared on SSRN), researchers found something interesting:

Students who relied heavily on AI tools for problem-solving actually performed worse when the tools were removed, compared to students who figured things out themselves.

Let that sink in.

The group that “saved time” — lost capacity.

There’s also the famous Stanford marshmallow experiment. Kids who could delay gratification — who could wait for a better reward later instead of grabbing the first marshmallow — ended up doing better in life across the board: academics, health, resilience.

Patience. Struggle. Effort.

These aren’t just virtues. They’re brain workouts.

Islam Told Us This 1,400 Years Ago

In the Qur’an, Allah constantly calls us to reflect.

“Do they not reflect upon themselves?” (Surah Ar-Rum 30:8)

“Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.” (Surah Az-Zumar 39:42)

The word is tafakkur — deep thinking. Slow contemplation. Wrestling with meaning.

And sometimes, not even finding the answer… but becoming someone better through the search.

One of the righteous once said:

“A moment of reflection is better than a year of worship.”

(Ibn Rajab, Jami’ al-‘Uloom wal-Hikam)

Let that echo for a bit.

Raising Kids Without Google Reflexes

Back on the farm, we unschool our kids. That doesn’t mean we don’t teach — it means we guide, we witness, we nudge.

And most importantly: we let them get it wrong.

We let them forget how many milliliters in a liter — and discover it again.

We let them ask questions about Allah, jannah, sin, science — and not always give an immediate answer.

Because answers alone don’t make thinkers. Wrestling does.

What AI Can’t Give You

AI is a tool. A powerful one. I use it. You use it. But let’s not get confused:

AI can deliver answers. But it can’t build wisdom.

It can optimize your to-do list — but it can’t teach you to sit with an uncomfortable question and grow stronger by not running from it.

We’re not just here to “save time.”

We’re here to build character.

And character… is forged in the fire of confusion, curiosity, and small hard-won victories.

So the Next Time You’re Tempted…

…to ask for the answer,

…to Google before guessing,

…to copy before creating,

Try pausing.

Try sitting with the uncertainty.

Try letting the question stretch your mind, like a muscle pulling under tension — not breaking, but growing.

Because in that pause… in that process…

You might not just find the answer.

You might find yourself.

⚠️ Disclaimer

I’m not a neuroscientist, a Sheikh, or a life coach. I’m just a father raising six kids off-grid in Gordon’s Bay — thinking about thinking. If I’ve made a mistake, correct me. If I’ve made you pause, maybe… sit in it a little longer.