What small hesitation is shaping your behavior right now? Not the big obstacle… the tiny friction you keep stepping around. The awkward name you don’t want to mispronounce. The question you don’t want to “waste time” with. The unclear next step that makes you postpone. These barriers don’t look like failures. They look like minor delays. And that’s why they win. Cognitive load doesn’t only come from complexity. It comes from uncertainty and social friction… and those costs are paid repeatedly. If you want better thinking, remove tiny barriers early. Make it easier to ask, easier to start, easier to revise. Because once the first step feels safe, the rest becomes possible. Most people try to fix participation with confidence. But confidence is usually a consequence, not a prerequisite. Try this: pick one recurring hesitation and eliminate one micro-friction point. A script. A default question. A single place to begin. Small changes don’t stay small.
