    +-------------------------------------------------+
    |   CODE MODE: THE ZUHANDENHEIT EXPERIMENT        |
    |                                                 |
    |   Tool Calling          Code Mode               |
    |   (Vorhandenheit)       (Zuhandenheit)          |
    |                                                 |
    |   <invoke...>           const x = await ...     |
    |     Attention           Attention               |
    |     ↓                   ↓                       |
    |   [THE TOOL]            [THE TASK]              |
    |                                                 |
    |   Where does your attention go?                 |
    +-------------------------------------------------+

Code Mode

Try this: The Zuhandenheit Experiment

Complete the same task twice—once with tool calling, once with familiar code. Notice where your attention goes. That's the point of this experiment.

What to watch for

There are two modes of using tools. You'll feel both in this experiment:

Ready-to-hand (Zuhandenheit)

The hammer disappears when hammering. You think about the nail, not the tool. This is what you're aiming for.

Present-at-hand (Vorhandenheit)

You stop to think about the tool itself—how to hold it, how it works. The tool demands attention instead of receding.

Your Task (#1 of 3)

EXPERIMENT

Read a file and count how many functions it contains

Think about how you would accomplish this goal

Tool Calling Mode

Vorhandenheit

Write the tool invocations needed to complete the task. Use XML-like syntax:

<invoke name="Read">
  <parameter name="file_path">...</parameter>
</invoke>

Code Mode

Zuhandenheit

Write familiar code using standard library patterns:

const content = await fs.readFile(...);
const result = content.filter(...);

Want the deeper explanation?

The philosophical framework behind this experiment is documented in the full paper—including why this matters for AI tool design.

Read the full paper →