Problem
Monologue has inertia. Once you’re telling AI what to do, you keep telling. Once AI is asking you questions, it keeps asking.
That inertia makes you miss chances where switching to dialogue would surface better options.
Pattern
Break the inertia — flip the direction at key moments:
- AI asks you to decide → “What do you think would work better?”
- You’re stuck telling → “What questions do you have?”
- You’re deciding alone → “Show me a few approaches”
The reversal turns monologue into dialogue. Surfaces options you wouldn't have considered and makes preferences clearer by comparison.
When you catch yourself about to answer AI's question, pause. Ask what it thinks or could suggest instead.
Instead of an order taker, you get a collaborator. You're using AI's strengths (breadth, fast generation) and yours (quick scanning, clear preferences and more ideas once you see some options).
Example
File renaming:
- You: "Rename this file"
- AI: "What should I rename it to?"
- You reverse: "Can you think of some good names?"
- AI shows options with reasoning.
- You see different options and that might give you more ideas or show to you quickly what you don't like
