(16-03-2020, 02:08 PM)twee Wrote: Maybe I'm slightly missing the point, but I find all these arguments slightly unfair. The ultimate goal of both a cello and a trumpet is to make music, but that doesn't mean that either should be blamed for the fact that they approach that goal in a different way.

Instruments are not "everyday things", so it's a bit of a strawman. Maybe a better way to explain it would be to say that there needs to be less friction, less disconnection, with the things you don't really want to have to think about. They need to happen without a thought so that you can get on and do what is actually of importance to you, be it playing the trombone or the kazoo. That's why re-learning is a bother because it takes time away from what you really want to do. Standards are of tremendous help but customization can be too if it fits your special workflow.
I think the metaphor of the extended mind and the grand analogy that I linked previously are great.