What AI Thinks I Would Say
After a conversation a few days ago with another older guy experimenting with AI, I decided to ask the program on my phone what Karl Forehand would say about living a better life. For the most part, it was very accurate and even reminded me of some things from my writing that I might not have recalled. This is the answer I received.
Based on the information available, Karl Forehand’s advice for a better life centers on self-discovery, embracing the unknown, living authentically, and processing pain. Here are some of the principles he would suggest (all true):
Go Deeper and Be Authentic: Be willing to do the “hard work of going deeper” to live a “vibrant and authentic life.”
Lean Into Your Pain: Instead of avoiding issues, lean into your pain. This not only helps solve the issues but also helps you learn about them, potentially turning them into strengths. Bypassing issues only makes you feel better temporarily, as the root causes will reappear.
Investigate Fear and Shame: Seek to know the nature and origin of your fear so you can stop shaming yourself and find a way forward.
Embrace Unknowing and Mystery: Give up your “death grip on certainty” to open the door to expanded understanding and deeper consciousness. A better life is an “adventure” that involves finding “mystery and paradox and nuance, not certainty and doctrine.”
Live in the Now: Avoid “future tripping or past journeying (time travel in the mind),” as this clouds the present and prevents you from fully experiencing or truly living in the current moment.
Recognize Your “Invincible Preciousness”: Explore the deep place in you that cannot be sullied by brokenness or wounding, a sense of “invincible preciousness.” Accepting love, kindness, and respect from others can help you recognize this inherent value.
Move Beyond Organized Religion (If Necessary): He and his wife’s work includes moving beyond the confines of organized religion and evaluating whether it is “necessary or effective.”
Practice Love, Mercy, and Grace: The second half of human history, according to his understanding of Jesus’ life and work, should be characterized by love, mercy, and grace.
Resist the “Tyranny of the Urgent”: Value quietness and solitude over the frantic need to rush to where you are going.
Avoid Superiority and Labeling: Be wary of nationalism, which plays on the need to label and compare others to feel superior, promoting an “us versus them” mentality.
In short, a better life is a continuous journey of personal, spiritual, and emotional depth, lived with presence, vulnerability, and a more loving and less judgmental perspective.
If I were to rely on my evangelical roots, I would immediately be suspicious of AI and probably fear it because I don’t fully understand it. Since some of my early workdays involved computers and programming, I am less likely to worry about such things. Everything new has unresolved questions and requires adjustment, but so far, AI has been useful in helping me remember things I forget and quickly discovering things I didn’t know. It helps with outlines and planning, generally sparking a lot of thought for my writing.
I sincerely hope AI continues to be helpful in the future and leads us to become better people, living lives as I suggested above through AI.
Be where you are, Be who you are, Be at peace,
Karl Forehand
A Decade of Deconstruction: I Don’t Need Religion
Why did the Elephant Cross the Bridge?
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