Monkey minds vs. ChatGPT: Why being perfect is no longer trending

We’ve all done it: tried so hard to be the most perfect version of ourselves. Some were better at it than others, though. But has it come back to bite them now that ChatGPT has taken over the world — and perfection is no longer an asset?

I think I’ve figured out what will truly distinguish real writers from ChatGPT. It’s not a foolproof litmus test, but if you want to be seen as unmistakably human, here’s what you need to know:

It’s all in the imperfection. Duh. You’ve heard that one before but stay with me. It’s about saying the wrong thing at the wrong time (finally, I can get away with this one!), stumbling over a thought, not getting to the point, or concluding with something different than expected. It’s about emptying our messy human brains in the open and letting it all be just as it is before clicking publish (cleaning is forbidden). Contrary to what we were taught, unpolished thoughts can be sexy. Random musings that flow in different directions — where you never really know where you’ll end up — can be pretty interesting.

It’s so much more like a conversation. And unlike ChatGPT, a conversation is never linear. You don’t start on one topic, branch out a little, maybe discuss some part of it, and then circle back to a conclusion. When was the last time (if ever) you had a conversation like that??

More often, we start talking about something, then that something leads us somewhere else; we bungee jump from one topic to another, jumping but never landing. By the time we’re done talking to someone, we’ve likely touched on 30 topics and gone down 276 tiny alleyways and rabbit holes, just to end up on an entirely different one — not as a conclusion, but simply because we’ve run out of our adult time reserved for leisure and need to do other productive things with the rest of it.

It might sound scary to some, but I believe this is how we’ll beat ChatGPT. As long as it’s interesting, people will stick around for the unexpected and unpredictable.

Unfortunately, if you’re unlucky enough to be able to lead a conversation that’s to the point (a neat, focused one-way street), we’ve envied you so far — but not anymore. There’s officially no more difference between you and ChatGPT. You’re too perfect to be deemed human.

And I’m happy to announce that, finally, the monkey minds win this one!