August 4, 2023

That last post — about warning Trump not to use the criminal trial to prove the 2020 election was stolen — got me exploring the general subject of warnings...

... exploring with a robot.

Me: "What are some examples in literature of a person being told not to go somewhere, as if it would be dangerous, when in fact it would be beneficial to that person to do what he is being warned against? "

ChatGPT:

One classic example of a person being warned not to go somewhere, but it turning out to be beneficial, can be found in the fairy tale "Bluebeard" by Charles Perrault. In this story, Bluebeard warns his wife not to enter a certain room in his castle. However, her curiosity gets the better of her, and she enters the room, discovering the bodies of Bluebeard's previous wives. Ultimately, her disobedience leads to her discovering the truth about her husband and escaping danger. 

Another example can be found in Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story "Young Goodman Brown." In this tale, Goodman Brown is warned not to venture into the woods at night, as he might encounter evil and corruption. Despite the warning, he proceeds and ends up witnessing disturbing and immoral scenes involving people from his community. The experience challenges his perception of the world, but it could be argued that it ultimately benefits his understanding of human nature. 

In Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet," Friar Laurence warns Romeo not to rush into his infatuation with Juliet, given the longstanding feud between their families. However, their forbidden love leads to the eventual reconciliation of their families after their tragic deaths, arguably leading to a greater good. 

These examples highlight the theme of curiosity, defiance of warnings, and how sometimes disregarding caution can lead to unexpected positive outcomes, even though the initial danger was emphasized.

Me: "What are some examples in literature of a person being warned not to look into a particular matter when in fact it is the person giving the warning who stands to lose?"

ChatGPT:

Certainly, here are a few examples in literature where a person is warned not to investigate or look into a particular matter, while the person giving the warning has something to hide or stands to lose:

1. "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare: The Three Witches warn Macbeth not to fear any man born of a woman, which gives him a false sense of security. However, Macbeth later learns that Macduff was born through a Caesarean section, making him technically not "born of a woman." The Witches' warning leads Macbeth to make reckless decisions that ultimately lead to his downfall.

2."Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles: In this tragic play, Oedipus is warned multiple times not to pursue the truth about his origins, but he persists in uncovering the mystery of his birth. Ironically, his relentless pursuit leads him to discover that he has unwittingly fulfilled a prophecy that foretells he will kill his father and marry his mother.

3. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde: Lord Henry warns Dorian not to delve into the dark side of life or indulge in his desires. However, Lord Henry himself is a hedonistic character who encourages Dorian's immoral behavior. Dorian's eventual spiral into corruption and decay is a consequence of disregarding this warning.

4. "The Tell-Tale Heart" by Edgar Allan Poe: The narrator is warned by his own conscience not to reveal his guilt after committing a murder. As the story unfolds, the narrator's increasing obsession with the old man's vulture-like eye and his own guilt drives him to madness, ultimately leading to his confession.

5. "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald: Jay Gatsby is warned by Nick Carraway not to pursue his idealized vision of the past with Daisy Buchanan. Nick recognizes the dangers of Gatsby's obsession with the past, and his warning goes unheeded, leading to tragic consequences for Gatsby.

In these examples, the characters giving the warnings often have ulterior motives, hidden secrets, or personal stakes in preventing the protagonists from uncovering the truth. This creates tension and irony in the narratives as the protagonists navigate the consequences of ignoring these warnings. 

Me: "Restrict that last question to cases where in fact the person receiving the warning will be better off doing the thing he is warned not to do."

ChatGPT:

Certainly, here are some examples in literature where a character is warned not to investigate or delve into a particular matter, but it would actually be beneficial for them to do so: 

1. "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain: Huck Finn is warned by society against helping the runaway slave Jim. However, as Huck spends time with Jim and comes to know him as a person, he begins to question the morality of slavery and his society's values. Huck's decision to assist Jim leads to his moral growth and development.

2. "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee: Atticus Finch warns his children, Scout and Jem, not to become involved in the town's racial tensions and not to pursue the truth about Boo Radley. However, their eventual interactions with Boo Radley lead them to a greater understanding of empathy, compassion, and the complexities of human nature.

3. "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury: The society in this dystopian novel warns against reading books, which are considered dangerous. The protagonist, Guy Montag, defies this warning and starts reading books, leading him to question the oppressive government and rediscover the value of critical thinking and knowledge.

4. "The Giver" by Lois Lowry: In a controlled and emotionless society, the protagonist, Jonas, is warned not to question the established rules. However, he learns the truth about the past and the absence of real emotions, which motivates him to challenge the society's constraints and seek a better, more meaningful existence.

5. "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley: John ("the Savage") is warned not to challenge the norms of the highly controlled World State. However, his exploration of Shakespearean literature and his rejection of the shallow pleasures of the society lead him to a deeper understanding of human values and the potential for authentic experiences. 

In these examples, the characters receiving the warnings ultimately benefit from their defiance, as it leads them to question societal norms, expand their understanding, and grow personally and morally. 

Me: "Give me some examples in literature where someone warns a character not to do something because he anticipates that the character will do the very thing he's warned not to do."

ChatGPT:

Certainly, here are some examples in literature where a character warns another not to do something precisely because they anticipate that the character will do it anyway:

1. "Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare: Friar Laurence warns Romeo not to rush into his feelings for Juliet, saying, "These violent delights have violent ends." The Friar knows Romeo's impulsive nature and anticipates that he will pursue his love for Juliet despite the dangers.

2. "The Iliad" by Homer: In Homer's epic, Hector warns his wife, Andromache, not to mourn his death before it happens, as he knows that his impending battle with Achilles is perilous. Despite his warning, Andromache mourns his death, highlighting the inevitability of Hector's fate. 

3. "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding: Piggy warns the boys not to ignore reason and order, knowing that their descent into savagery on the island is likely. His warnings go unheeded, and chaos ensues as the boys' behavior becomes increasingly destructive.

4. "Oedipus Rex" by Sophocles: The prophet Tiresias warns Oedipus not to seek the truth about his origins, foretelling the tragic outcome of his investigation. Tiresias is aware that Oedipus will pursue the truth regardless, leading to his discovery of his own dark history.

5. "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare: The witches' prophecies warn Macbeth of his eventual downfall, but their warnings are cryptic and lead him to believe he is invulnerable. Despite their warnings, Macbeth's unchecked ambition drives him to take actions that lead to his downfall.

In these examples, the characters issuing the warnings have insight into the motivations and tendencies of the characters they are advising, and they anticipate the characters' actions despite their advice to the contrary. The characters' eventual decisions often align with the expectations of those who warned them. 

Me: "Restrict that question to situations where the person doing the warning believes that the warning will make it more likely that the person warned will do the thing that is warned against. I'm thinking of 'Br'er Rabbit,' but you could find other examples."

ChatGPT:

I understand your request. Here are some examples from literature where a character gives a warning with the belief that it will actually make it more likely for the warned person to do the thing that is cautioned against:

1. "The Adventures of Br'er Rabbit" (Folklore): In the Br'er Rabbit stories, Br'er Fox warns Br'er Rabbit not to be thrown into the briar patch as a punishment. Br'er Rabbit, knowing the briar patch is his natural habitat, uses reverse psychology to goad Br'er Fox into throwing him into the briar patch, which is exactly what Br'er Rabbit wants.

2. "The Emperor's New Clothes" by Hans Christian Andersen: In this tale, swindlers present themselves as weavers who create clothes that are invisible to foolish or unworthy people. The Emperor's subjects, including the Emperor himself, pretend to see the clothes to avoid appearing foolish. They ignore the warning signs and end up in a ridiculous situation due to their fear of being perceived as ignorant.

3. "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" (Folklore): The shepherd boy in this story repeatedly warns of a wolf's approach when there is none. When a real wolf finally appears and the boy cries for help, his history of false alarms leads the villagers to ignore his warning, resulting in dire consequences. 

4. "Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain: In one scene, Tom Sawyer is assigned the task of whitewashing a fence. He manages to convince his friends that the chore is a great privilege, using reverse psychology to make them want to do the work for him. 

5. "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger: Holden Caulfield repeatedly warns people, especially his sister Phoebe, not to accompany him or do certain things. He does this to push them away and protect them from his own perceived faults, while secretly hoping they will defy his warnings and show him affection. In these examples, the characters giving the warnings use reverse psychology, manipulation, or a belief in human nature's contrariness to encourage the warned individuals to do the very thing they are cautioned against. 

The second and third examples don't fit the prompt, though I was amused by the idea that the villagers wanted the boy eaten by wolves.

Rather than badgering ChatGPT about this inaptness, I asked: "What can the study of psychology tell us about why warnings can backfire and cause people to do the very thing they are warned against doing?"

Instead of the usual 5-point answer, I got a whopping 10-point answer — and it was instantaneous.

ChatGPT:

The phenomenon where warnings can backfire and lead people to do the exact opposite of what they're cautioned against is known as the "boomerang effect." The study of psychology provides insights into why this effect occurs:

1. Reactance Theory: When people feel their freedom or autonomy is threatened, they may react by asserting their independence. Warnings can trigger this reactance, causing individuals to resist the warning and engage in the behavior they are told to avoid as a way of reasserting control over their decisions.

2. Perceived Norms: People often base their behavior on what they perceive as the social norm or acceptable behavior. If a warning highlights a behavior as undesirable, individuals may react by perceiving the warned-against behavior as more common or socially acceptable than it actually is, leading them to engage in it.

3. Curiosity and Forbidden Fruit Effect: Warnings can pique curiosity and make the forbidden behavior seem more attractive. When something is forbidden, it becomes more intriguing and desirable, prompting individuals to explore it despite the warning

4. Overconfidence Bias: Some individuals might believe they are less susceptible to negative outcomes than others. When they receive a warning, they might think that the risk doesn't apply to them, leading to a sense of invulnerability and a disregard for the caution.

5. Cognitive Dissonance: If people engage in behavior that is inconsistent with their beliefs, they may experience cognitive dissonance—a discomfort arising from holding conflicting attitudes. In response, they may change their beliefs to align with their behavior, making them more likely to engage in the behavior they were warned against.

6. Message Framing: The way a warning is framed can influence its effectiveness. If a warning focuses solely on negative consequences, it might lead individuals to dismiss the message to reduce their discomfort. Positive framing that emphasizes benefits of alternative behaviors might be more effective.

7. Rebellion and Identity: Warnings that come across as authoritative or condescending can trigger a rebellious response, causing individuals to engage in the behavior to assert their independence. Additionally, warnings might clash with a person's self-identity or group identity, leading them to defy the caution.

8. Sensation Seeking: Some individuals are motivated by novelty and excitement. If a warning highlights a behavior as risky, it might attract those who seek out novel and thrilling experiences.

9. Mood and Emotion: People's emotional state can influence their decision-making. If a warning induces negative emotions, individuals might engage in the behavior to alleviate their discomfort or to counteract their negative mood.

10. Selective Attention: Individuals might selectively focus on the potential rewards of the warned-against behavior while downplaying the risks due to cognitive biases, leading them to engage in the behavior.

Understanding these psychological factors can help in designing more effective warning messages and interventions that minimize the risk of the boomerang effect and promote desired behaviors. 

Me: "Another reason people might resist warnings is that they might believe that the person giving the warning is pursuing his own self-interest and not trying to help at all. Is that accounted for in the 10 points you gave above or is it an 11th point?"

ChatGPT:

The point you've raised can be related to the concept of perceived credibility and trustworthiness, which is closely connected to the effectiveness of warnings. While it is not explicitly mentioned as a separate point in the list I provided earlier, it can be considered as an additional factor that influences how people respond to warnings. Here's how it fits into the broader framework: 

1. Perceived Credibility and Trustworthiness: People are more likely to heed warnings if they perceive the source of the warning as credible and trustworthy. If they believe the person giving the warning has ulterior motives or a lack of expertise, they might resist the warning, assuming it's driven by self-interest rather than genuine concern. This skepticism about the source can lead to a rejection of the warning message. 

This point emphasizes the importance of considering the source of the warning and the communicator's credibility when crafting effective warning messages. If people perceive the communicator as genuinely caring about their well-being and having their best interests at heart, they are more likely to take the warning seriously and act upon it. On the other hand, if the communicator's motivations are doubted, the warning may indeed backfire, as individuals may perceive it as a manipulation or self-serving directive.

That's a lot of material to take back to the question of the warning discussed in the previous post. I think #7 — Rebellion and Identity is most in play.

56 comments:

Enigma said...

Somewhere in this very long list: Planet of the Apes (Charlton Heston version) -- final scene and the warning to not walk down the beach

WK said...

I am glad that Bluebeard was left out of the Golden Book of Fairy Tales. Not sure the kids would have liked hearing that one over and over.

Quayle said...

You should ask, "I was warned to not use you as a source of reliable information. What do you say to that?"

tim maguire said...

More evidence of the shortcomings of ChatGBP. It doesn't do a very good job of finding examples that illustrate your questions. But instead of saying that, it finds sort-of examples and "hopes" you don't notice.

If the trial comes down to whether Trump believed the election was stolen, the evidence that it was, in fact, stolen would help him greatly by showing the belief was reasonable.

gilbar said...

Friar Laurence warns Romeo not to rush into his infatuation with Juliet, given the longstanding feud between their families. However, their forbidden love leads to the eventual reconciliation of their families after their tragic deaths, arguably leading to a greater good.

a 'greater good'?? What a load!! Sure, their families 'reconciled'..
Reconciled AFTER BOTH families were destroyed by the Rape and Murder by vicious Otters of the young lovers

Wince said...

Althouse said...
That last post... got me exploring the general subject of warnings...
... exploring with a robot.


"Danger, Will Robinson."

Jupiter said...

Me: "Restrict that last question to cases where in fact the person receiving the warning will be better off doing the thing he is warned not to do."

So you are starting to realize that ChatGPT provides the nearest thing it can find to what you asked for, even if it is not at all near.

tommyesq said...

It's this "greater good" theory that makes AI so scary.

Tina Trent said...

Interesting. But in many of these examples, psychology is not the dominant force. That force is fate, delivered by both wise and fickle gods and goddesses. Fate is unavoidable, and our attention to psychological types, intentions, and free will cannot supersede fate. The pre-Christian world is alien to ours. We can approach it with logic, ethics, faith and technology, but then we fail the point entirely.

Dogma and Pony Show said...

In the horror genre, characters routinely go into situations heedless of the warnings of AUDIENCE MEMBERS not to do so. A good example is in The Birds, when Tippi Hedren goes up to the attic.

Rocco said...

"Friar Laurence warns Romeo not to rush into his infatuation with Juliet, given the longstanding feud between their families. However, their forbidden love leads to the eventual reconciliation of their families after their tragic deaths, arguably leading to a greater good."

Sure, WWII was bad, but it gave us someone to compare Republicans to!

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

7. Rebellion and Identity: Warnings that come across as authoritative or condescending can trigger a rebellious response, causing individuals to engage in the behavior to assert their independence. Additionally, warnings might clash with a person's self-identity or group identity, leading them to defy the caution.

I see it as a kind of trap, incite the thing you warn against, so when Trump does it, the gov can then justify going even harder after him. Because the case as it stands now is too weak to justify what they are doing now. The narrative they want is Trump hanged himself (metaphorically).

mccullough said...

The best example is in the Matrix when the Oracle tells Neo he is not the chose one.

It frees him up to perform incredible feats.

Great coaching by the Oracle.

Tripp Hall said...

That "could be argued" in the "Young Goodman Brown" mention is doing a lot of work. It's not at all obvious that what Goodman Brown sees in the forest is real or true. And it ruins his life.

Will Cate said...

Interesting. It took a while before you got it to acknowledge Br'er Rabbit (at your own suggestion in fact), which was the very first thing that came to my mind.

BUMBLE BEE said...

Outstanding post. Your dilligence shines!

deepelemblues said...

What I've learned from this is, I am not voting for a candidate that does not outline a ChatGPT-provided 20-point plan to end the scourge of otters raping human women in this country.

mikee said...

Gene Wilder as Willie Wonka, deadpan warning, "No. Stop. Don't."

Kate said...

My first thought was "Alice in Wonderland". Is "Eat me" a warning, though, or an encouragement?

Tina Trent said...

I wonder, if you were to program the historical-religious concept of fate into A.I., if it would exclude some of these examples. Or a million other evolutions and revolutions over time? Can it integrate T.S.Eliot's concept of being "judged [affected] by the standards of the past"? Is I.A. hopelessly presentist, like an ever expanding encyclopedia?

Sorry. Off topic. But something in this list struck me.

Reactive Theory and Message Framing seem most relevant here.

But there is so much lazy imprinting hobbling A.I. It may be argued that Boo Radley acted as a one-man lynch-mob by murdering Mayella Ewell's father rather than turning him over to the authorities. Isn't Atticus ultimately endorsing extralegal justice?

wildswan said...

Who is being warned - Trump or potential Trump voters or campaign narrative developers?

Trump
Authority figures tell Trump certain voters are evil, fascist, misogynistic, racist, homophobic deplorables, hated by the NYT and don't seek their votes. He immediately seeks their votes. Therefore it was planned he should seek their votes by malignant figures, NPCs running and ruining our lives. Three Witches

Trump's opponents
Authority figures tell them Trump is an evil, fascist, misogynistic, racist, homophobic demagogue, hated by the NYT and don't vote for him. They don't. Salem Witch trials

Trump's supporters
Authority figures tell them Trump is an evil, fascist, misogynistic, racist, homophobic demagogue hated by the NYT and don't vote for him. They do. Bud Light Marketing witch

Different people are hearing different things and I'm having trouble fitting the Trump story into a pattern.

I think Trump wanted to restore America and started on it. (The Restorer) His opponents, the ones who sold our manufacturing to China or are on the Chinese payroll or are their children, thought he'd wimp out if they used to usual forms of coercion available to the Indigo Blob against him. (The Reactionaries) Instead, Trump's fighting powers are exposing The Blob. (Reversal of Expectations) The next move. Trump gains control of the narrative even without Twitter. "Please don't throw me in jail as the election approaches" Brer Rabbit, as Althouse says. Or is it T-Baby? (The fact that ChatGPT can't think of those stories shows its ethical high-mindedness.)

tim in vermont said...

I am guessing that they will drop any charges that give Trump discovery rights into voting like a hot potato, at least that’s likely what they will do, if they can’t get the judge to prohibit Trump from presenting that defense, claiming that it’s been adjudicated and that he certainly accepted the outcome “in his heart.” Or they will rewrite it so that knowingly lying is not part of the charge.

Schiff simply disallowed any defense that could conceivably have proven Trump not guilty. Then the DoJ raided his lawyer, Rudy Giuliani’s office and home and seized his phones and computers. That was normal, right?

Mutaman said...

"Asked about election fraud claims made by former President Donald Trump surrounding the 2020 presidential election, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) stated on Friday that those claims are “unsubstantiated.”"

Its getting to where the only idiots who actually believe there was fraud are the 20 Know Nothings who post here.

Narr said...

The ChatGPT vortex. Some people love it, but at this point it's kind of . . . on the spectrum?

Autistic Intelligence.

Don't fall for the sex-crazed otter tales. They're obviously put out to divert attention from the worms.


Barry Dauphin said...

Then, ChatGPT warned Ann not to ask any more questions and to accept its answers as good enough.

Richard Dolan said...

Inferno: “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.”

But our intrepid poet was not one to take the safe course.

WWIII Joe Biden, Husk-Puppet + America's Putin said...

Don;t ask about Joe Biden's corruption in Ukraine. You'll get impeached... or Epstein-ed.

Art in LA said...

Ray Bradbury! I met him once at BookExpo America many years ago, an autograph signing. He is a fellow Los Angeles High School alum, home of the Romans. He was 40+ years ahead of me though. I love the story of how he used the coin-operated typewriters at the basement of Powell Library at UCLA to craft his books.

gilbar said...

my Otter warning post got removed..
Presumably because it was about the sort of warnings that you SHOULD heed. So, i'll try again..
Remember the Nigerian Coup? Where our US ally's government was overthrown (no, Not by Otters.. This time)?
Apparently, they DIDN'T listen to our warnings (wait.. Maybe they DID listen, and that was the trouble?)
Anyway, No that their President is trapped in his (Otter proof?) safe room, the new rulers are aligning their country with Russia
https://www.wsj.com/articles/niger-coup-us-russia-africa-86cf1454?mod=hp_lead_pos7
Niger’s president hid behind a bulletproof door of his official residence and talked over a phone he assumed was monitored. To anxious French and American allies, he repeated assurances that the army would soon rescue him from an unfolding coup.
Outside the ground floor safe room Mohamed Bazoum had recently renovated to protect himself from such an event, mutineers from his presidential guard fanned out across the presidency compound..
The US ambassador was worried one of Washington’s closest allies in Africa could become the latest in a string of regional states to fall into the hands of coup leaders sympathetic to Russia..
A week later, Bazoum is still imprisoned in his palace, junta leaders are seeking aid from Vladimir Putin’s regional partners and America is on the verge of losing its most important ally in a crucial and unstable part of Africa. An obscure personnel dispute within Niger’s presidential guard has now become what appears to be a geopolitical win for Russia..

Sometimes, you should LISTEN to the warnings

JIM said...

I wonder if SP Jack Smith was warned to avoid Banana Republic tactics?

MadTownGuy said...

Warning by a robot: "Danger, Will Robinson, danger!"

gspencer said...

Proving the shenanigans in the 2020 election is central to the defense's case as it would show that Trump reasonably believed that those shenanigans resulted in a faulty election which would justify whatever Trump said. To my knowledge no court has ever taken evidence as to that election.

Craig Mc said...

Bad Boy Bubby was constantly warned by his mother not to go outside the house as the atmosphere was poisonous.

Odd movie, to say the least.

sean said...

Wow, to every question ChatGPT produces really bad examples.

Mary Beth said...

In Hogfather, Death tells another character not to interfere in what he is doing (not doing his "normal" job), but she does and things turn out like they should. He has been observing people since before they were people, so he knew that telling her not to do something was the surest way to get her to do it.

Stan Smith said...

Why did the kids put beans in their ears?
No one can hear with beans in their ears.
After a while the reason appears.
They did it cause we said no.

—The Fantasticks

SteveGW said...

Then Yahweh God gave the man this command, 'You are free to eat of all the trees in the garden. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you are not to eat; for the day you eat of that, you are doomed to die.'

BUMBLE BEE said...

Hey! Teacher!
Leave Robots Alone!

Drago said...

Mutaman: "Its getting to where the only idiots who actually believe there was fraud are the 20 Know Nothings who post here."

Rasmussen, April of 2022

"In a July 2020 interview with Joy Reid on MSNBC, Clinton said, “It's very clear that Russia succeeded. They believe that they were able to influence the minds and even votes of Americans, so why would they stop?” Seventy-two percent (72%) of Democrats believe it’s likely the 2016 election outcome was changed by Russian interference, but that opinion is shared by only 30% of Republicans and 39% of voters not affiliated with either major party."

https://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/general_politics/april_2022/democrats_still_believe_russia_changed_2016_election

Aggie said...

Geez, ChatGPT is an even bigger, more insidious waste of time than Twitter. I didn't think it was possible.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

This is a bookmark post.

gadfly said...

So we chase fiction using ChatGPT. That's about right where Donald J. Trump is involved, but not exactly normal when a lawyer is questioning the AI app, particularly when Trump's peculiarities are obvious.

Somehow the investigative power of real professional crime fighters can never be overlooked and in all cases, the rule of law must be honored.

Candide said...

A propos,

In French, phonetically, “chat got” sounds exactly like “cat, I farted” (chat, j’ai pete). Everywhere, on TV, in the news, people are saying “cat, I farted” with a straight face, over and over…

typingtalker said...

I wonder if this is Ann's longest post ever ...

tim in vermont said...

If we go into Niger to reverse a coup that we don’t like, that’s pretty much exactly what Russia did in Crimea in 2014, except that Niger is not on America’s border a couple of hundred miles from Washington, it’s just incredibly rich in minerals. Oh yeah and two out of five people there live on $10 a day or less. France is sure a benevolent colonial master, so that government should go back to save democracy.

tim in vermont said...

The reason that you are not persuasive, gadfly, is that you seem unable to even give the appearance of being persuadable yourself, it’s basic Dale Carnegie. You never respond to any questions, and simply throw out conclusions based on rhetorical framing which studiously avoids objections and uncomfortable, for your position, facts.

My favorite part is that you seem to believe that anyone not persuaded by the brand of argument is somehow deficient in critical thinking, so it’s hard to tell if you are being dishonest on purpose, or just not very bright.

Fritz said...

Art in LA said...
Ray Bradbury! I met him once at BookExpo America many years ago, an autograph signing. He is a fellow Los Angeles High School alum, home of the Romans. He was 40+ years ahead of me though. I love the story of how he used the coin-operated typewriters at the basement of Powell Library at UCLA to craft his books.


I grew up in Culver City, but we moved to Rancho Park when I went into 6th grade. Ray Bradbury lived in the neighborhood, and his daughter Ramona was in my class at school. I met him a few times, and he seemed like a nice, normal adult, at least by LA standards. I was just getting into Sci-Fi then.

tim in vermont said...

Mutaman’s persuasion shtick seems to be entirely based on snark and insult. I guess he thinks everyone really wants to sit at his lunch table at the junior high school or something, and that his personal opinions carry some kind of weight.

Inga still fervently believes that Trump is some kind of Russian spy, even as there is zero evidence, at the same time believing that the election was fair and honest, even in the face of evidence, which she refuses to acknowledge even, as the Democrats pull out every stop to keep the facts from being examined.

The New Yorker writes a piece pretending to wonder what a legitimate win by Biden would look like. I wonder what an honest article from The New Yorker would look like. For one thing, observers would not be kicked out and cameras turned off, people told that vote counting was stopped, and then other cameras they didn’t think of would not show the counters, after the observers were kicked out on a false premise, pulling boxes of ballots out from under tables, whose provenance was unverifiable by the now ejected observers.

Stuff like that. Vote counting should be like jury duty, done by randomly selected people.

Luke Lea said...

So it turns out Chat-GPT is the biggest bullshitter in the world.

Rusty said...

Mutaman said...
"Asked about election fraud claims made by former President Donald Trump surrounding the 2020 presidential election, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) stated on Friday that those claims are “unsubstantiated.”"

"Its getting to where the only idiots who actually believe there was fraud are the 20 Know Nothings who post here."
Afraid of ghosts are you? Because the above strikes me as whistling past the grave yard. Asking me to accept there was no fraud is like asking me to accept there is a tooth fairy.

Rusty said...

gadfly said...
"So we chase fiction using ChatGPT. That's about right where Donald J. Trump is involved, but not exactly normal when a lawyer is questioning the AI app, particularly when Trump's peculiarities are obvious.

Somehow the investigative power of real professional crime fighters can never be overlooked and in all cases, the rule of law must be honored."
Gadfly. You're a partisan hack. You have no more interest in, "the rule of law" than you do about the ice cubes in your fridge. The "law" to you is about punishing those people who disagree with you polically.

Sean said...

The best example I can think of is the movie Rapunzel where she is warned by her kidnapper to not leave the tower due to the dangers outside.

I am sure there are more examples from Disney. Perhaps, "we don't talk about Bruno".

Bima said...

I considered asking ChatGPT to provide a discussion of the inconsistencies in one of the various Titles of the US Code but I was afraid that I would crash the internet.

Mutaman said...

Rusty said...
"Asking me to accept there was no fraud is like asking me to accept there is a tooth fairy."

I'M not asking you to accept there was no fraud, I'm asking you to prove that there was. You've had two years to do it and all we get is you whining about how unfair everything is.

Narr said...

typingtalker wonders if this is Ann's longest post ever.

Most of the post is CGPT, so I would guess no.

Rusty said...

Mutaman said...
Rusty said...
"Asking me to accept there was no fraud is like asking me to accept there is a tooth fairy."

"I'M not asking you to accept there was no fraud, I'm asking you to prove that there was. You've had two years to do it and all we get is you whining about how unfair everything is."

Nope. YOU show me every one of those 81 million people. Every fucking one. I want a person for every vote. You will not be able to do it.