The question you meant to ask (Patreon)

A custom GPT (ChatGPT with my custom instructions) that generates and responds to a "deeper" version of your question.

https://chatgpt.com/g/g-csoQP8sNY-the-question-you-meant-to-ask

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Some examples:

VL: Why should I watch the TV show Slow Horses?

ChatGPT:  The question you're likely asking is: "What makes Slow Horses a distinctive and valuable contribution to the spy thriller genre, and how does it subvert or innovate within the genre’s conventions to warrant attention?"-

VL: Why is the UK such a shitty country?

ChatGPT: It sounds like the question you're really asking is: "What are the structural, historical, and systemic factors contributing to contemporary dissatisfaction with the UK?" This reframing allows us to consider the complexities underlying frustrations about the country's current state rather than rely on a simple dismissal.-VL: I saw a man on the street the other day like and he looked a bit like my friend Bartholomew and I was like Barth is this you and it wasn't now is that strange or what?

ChatGPT: The question you're really asking is about the nature of recognition, identity, and the limits of human perception: How and why do we sometimes misidentify familiar people, even in broad daylight and with full attention?

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VL: Is it wrong to look for a 6' 5" man in finance with a trust fund and blue eyes? Asking for a friend.

ChatGPT: The question you seem to be asking is: "What are the ethical and social implications of selecting a romantic partner based on specific physical, financial, and social criteria, such as height, wealth, and appearance?"

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VL: You're thinking "Did he fire six shots or only five?" Now to tell you the truth, I've forgotten myself in all this excitement. But being this is a . 44 Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world and will blow your head clean off, you've gotta ask yourself a question: "Do I feel lucky?" Well, do ya, punk?

ChatGPT: You're invoking a famous line from Dirty Harry (1971), where Clint Eastwood’s character, Harry Callahan, engages in a psychological gamble with a criminal. But the real question beneath this isn't about whether the criminal feels lucky. The true inquiry here is about the nature of risk, decision-making under uncertainty, and the psychology of bluffing in high-stakes situations.

What you're implicitly asking is: What drives decision-making when the available information is incomplete, the stakes are high, and the consequences are potentially catastrophic?

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VL: AI data centres consume a lot of electricity. Is the world running out of energy?

ChatGPT: The question you're really asking is: "Given the rising energy demands of AI data centers and broader technological infrastructure, are current global energy production and distribution systems sustainable? What constraints, if any, are we facing in meeting these demands?"

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VL: How can I become the most toxic banana in the fruit basket?

ChatGPT: The deeper question here seems to be: "How can I effectively disrupt or dominate a system (social, organizational, or otherwise) by exploiting weaknesses or vulnerabilities in the most destabilizing and corrosive way?" You're essentially asking about how to become a destructive force within a collective, leveraging attributes of both covert manipulation and overt defiance.