As machines grow more capable and more present in daily life, humanity faces a quiet but consequential habit: speaking to our tools as though they share our inner world. The anthropomorphism that makes interaction feel natural also distorts our understanding of what these systems truly are — pattern-matchers, algorithm-executors, statistical engines — and inflates our expectations beyond what they can bear. Across workplaces, homes, and critical infrastructure, the gap between the map we carry and the territory we navigate is widening. Learning to see machines clearly, and to communicate with