# The Zen of AI

> Source: <https://www.dtlarson.com/zen>
> Published: 2026-08-23 07:53:06+00:00

- Raw is better than distilled.
- Distilled is better than empty.
- Too much context is better than too little.
- Although scattered context is worse than none.
- Bad prompts demand; good prompts provide.
- Examples teach; errors teach best.
- Ask what’s wrong, not what’s right.
- Tool calls are better than tokens.
- Autonomous does not mean automated.
- Babysitting is not the same as building.
- Failures should be loud and safe.
- Many minds beat one.
- Although no minds often beats many.
- What costs little to generate costs much to manage.
- Be generous with tokens, miserly with attention.
- Protect the spiky bits.
*AI can’t do X* is a dangerous premise.- The sun sets on every model.
- The master trains their replacement with every move.