I've been reading about what really helped people who had problems with "AI Psychosis" and one tip jumped out at me:

Open a second window and tell it exactly the opposite of each thing you say.

This helps to expose the sycophancy and shatters the illusion of sincerity and humanity.

Thought it was worth sharing. And frankly, it's exactly such an exercise that made me disgusted with the tech. "It just says ANYTHING is wonderful and genius. I'm not special."

Another "tip" is less welcome to me as an introvert. Make time for the people in your life. Talk to them. Let them know when you *really* think they are doing something amazing or creative. (Or when it's not "genius" because you are real and care.) Listen. Be there.

The thing is, as much as doing this is scary and I want to avoid it it makes me feel better too in the long run I think.

Frankly, I'm kind of glad these GPTs were so sycophantic. A more critical voice might have been more appealing to me. A contrarian bot who always nitpicks and argues with you.

That's how facebook's old 2016 algorithm wasted so much of my time. I sucked in by the opportunity to dismantle someone who is wrong. Not the most ... healthy personal quality. I'm working on it always.

But why is it so fulfilling to have a good back and forth with someone? To disagree and pull the whole problem apart and ideally come out on top? (though it's also fun to discover you needed to learn something too, it's just less fun and rewarding)

It's fulfilling because they care about what you are saying enough to criticize it. The difference between the art teacher who says "that's a very nice drawing" and "I can see that you are trying to do X but it's failing/working in these ways."

@futurebird Huh! I also find a good back and forth fulfilling, but I think it's more exciting when I'm interestingly wrong.

@emjonaitis

I'm trying to cultivate that perspective. But I do really love to be right. Probably too much.

@futurebird Perhaps I mentioned this before, not sure.
I was member of a Toronto-based forum with global reach from 1999 till 2010 when it stopped. About old Canadian/Celtic stories. And just random off-topic. About 70% female. Plenty with Asian roots. Average IT-level was far above mine. The game self-stalking and double-googling was played sometimes. "Try to find me somewhere else " and "google once and google twice for the opposite¨>. A lot of fun with that , and the instinct was woken up.