I’m a writer. LLMs can generate coherent passages of text faster than me. Getting AI to write for me is arguably the most efficient way I could use it. But each time I prompted an LLM to do this, the writing was flat, bland, and impersonal, so much so that I didn’t think it was worth using, not even as a first draft. (View Highlight)
I’m a writer. LLMs can generate coherent passages of text faster than me. Getting AI to write for me is arguably the most efficient way I could use it. But each time I prompted an LLM to do this, the writing was flat, bland, and impersonal, so much so that I didn’t think it was worth using, not even as a first draft. (View Highlight)
Most consumer AI apps share a common promise: They help you do things faster, or with less effort. The resulting narrative frames AI’s primary role as boosting efficiency. Some people might find meaning in efficiency itself, but many others don’t, which can inadvertently discourage them from experimenting with AI. (View Highlight)
Most consumer AI apps share a common promise: They help you do things faster, or with less effort. The resulting narrative frames AI’s primary role as boosting efficiency. Some people might find meaning in efficiency itself, but many others don’t, which can inadvertently discourage them from experimenting with AI. (View Highlight)
If you, like me, are part of that second group, I have a solution for you: Reframe your narrative around AI. Stop using AI to be more efficient. Instead, use it to increase the meaning you derive from work and life. (View Highlight)
If you, like me, are part of that second group, I have a solution for you: Reframe your narrative around AI. Stop using AI to be more efficient. Instead, use it to increase the meaning you derive from work and life. (View Highlight)
Humans are drawn to activities that bring them meaning. This is common sense when it comes to mountaineering, but my hunch is that we lose sight of it when we try to use AI. (View Highlight)
I like the process of choosing the words I commit to posterity on the internet. I don’t just like it, I cherishit. That’s why, when I outsourced this task to AI in an attempt to be more productive, I was left unimpressed, and gradually, I stopped trying to use LLMs altogether. (View Highlight)
I like the process of choosing the words I commit to posterity on the internet. I don’t just like it, I cherishit. That’s why, when I outsourced this task to AI in an attempt to be more productive, I was left unimpressed, and gradually, I stopped trying to use LLMs altogether. (View Highlight)
I wanted to have a better relationship with this new technology, and the first step to developing that was rewriting my narrative around AI. I stopped thinking of LLMs as tools that would write for me. Instead, I started using them to help me with a part of writing I don’t enjoy: being stuck. (View Highlight)
In drafts, I like to articulate my arguments with examples. However, I sometimes struggle to come up with good ones. Pre-AI, I would turn to my partner, explain the problem in a garbled frenzy, and expect him to brainstorm with me. What followed was an erratic, volatile process. At times, the approach worked like magic, but other times, when he was busy or unable to understand the required context, it would fail miserably. (View Highlight)
In drafts, I like to articulate my arguments with examples. However, I sometimes struggle to come up with good ones. Pre-AI, I would turn to my partner, explain the problem in a garbled frenzy, and expect him to brainstorm with me. What followed was an erratic, volatile process. At times, the approach worked like magic, but other times, when he was busy or unable to understand the required context, it would fail miserably. (View Highlight)
Now, I turn to Claude instead. LLMs are never busy, and they make do with the inarticulate context I include in my prompt—so when I struggle with finding an example, I paste the unfinished draft into Claude and leave a blank like this: “____” where I want the example to feature. Then, I prompt the model: “Fill in the blank in 10 different ways.” The output usually gives me fodder for new ideas. (And if it doesn’t, I just prompt it again!) (View Highlight)
Now, I turn to Claude instead. LLMs are never busy, and they make do with the inarticulate context I include in my prompt—so when I struggle with finding an example, I paste the unfinished draft into Claude and leave a blank like this: “____” where I want the example to feature. Then, I prompt the model: “Fill in the blank in 10 different ways.” The output usually gives me fodder for new ideas. (And if it doesn’t, I just prompt it again!) (View Highlight)
I don’t use the words the model generates verbatim in my draft, just as I wouldn’t take something my partner says during one of our brainstorming conversations and quote it word-for-word. I treat the LLM as an ally in ideation, not a writer. It frees me to do the things that give me meaning (choose the right words) and work through what I don’t like (being stuck). (View Highlight)
I don’t use the words the model generates verbatim in my draft, just as I wouldn’t take something my partner says during one of our brainstorming conversations and quote it word-for-word. I treat the LLM as an ally in ideation, not a writer. It frees me to do the things that give me meaning (choose the right words) and work through what I don’t like (being stuck). (View Highlight)
Before you can use AI to maximize the meaning in your work and life, you’ll need to be able to articulate what you draw meaning from. (View Highlight)
Before you can use AI to maximize the meaning in your work and life, you’ll need to be able to articulate what you draw meaning from. (View Highlight)
What do you stand for? This question is a large one, which can make it intimidating to answer right off the bat. A simpler version would be: What experiences do you regularly prioritize? Examine your lifestyle as an adult, because it is often a tangible manifestation of your internal belief system. If you’re always learning new skills, you value personal growth; if a daily workout feels essential to you, you stand for health; if you prioritize dinners at home, you appreciate a strong family unit. Think about where you spend your resources—time, energy, and money—and you’ll have your answer. (View Highlight)
What do you stand for? This question is a large one, which can make it intimidating to answer right off the bat. A simpler version would be: What experiences do you regularly prioritize? Examine your lifestyle as an adult, because it is often a tangible manifestation of your internal belief system. If you’re always learning new skills, you value personal growth; if a daily workout feels essential to you, you stand for health; if you prioritize dinners at home, you appreciate a strong family unit. Think about where you spend your resources—time, energy, and money—and you’ll have your answer. (View Highlight)
The more experiences you have, the better you will understand yourself. The best part is that there’s no downside to this process—a negative experience only indicates your dislike, which is useful information as you get deeper in your search. (View Highlight)
The more experiences you have, the better you will understand yourself. The best part is that there’s no downside to this process—a negative experience only indicates your dislike, which is useful information as you get deeper in your search. (View Highlight)
“I like to read” has been my go-to answer when I’m asked about my hobbies for over a decade. I reach for my Kindle on lazy afternoons, in waiting rooms, and when I can’t fall asleep. Books are a big part of my life, and in my search for meaning, I started paying more attention to the ones I enjoyed. The most compelling nonfiction book I’ve read is a compilation of interviews about 9/11. The level of detail in the stories drew me in, creating the illusion that I was experiencing that day with the people involved. This is a pattern across my reading habits: I’m more engaged by books with a narrow focus, that go deep on a single event, as opposed to those that discuss trends across long periods of time. Taking notice of this, I’ve learned that the finer details of a story bring me meaning. (View Highlight)
Having a conversation with an LLM is a great way to help you hone in on what brings you meaning. You can guide the AI by giving it guardrails, telling it to ask you one question at a time or to answer in one paragraph. (View Highlight)
Having a conversation with an LLM is a great way to help you hone in on what brings you meaning. You can guide the AI by giving it guardrails, telling it to ask you one question at a time or to answer in one paragraph. (View Highlight)
I always have Claude open in a tab as I write, and I frequently switch between my Google document and the LLM. Reframing my narrative around AI opened up a world where technology became my partner in writing—not something I struggled to integrate into my workflow. I bet it could do the same for you. If you try this experiment with a language model, let me know how you found the experience in the comments. (View Highlight)
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