Cliff GPT

You said:

Do you realize you have single-handedly destroyed discourse in modern America?

ChatGPT said:

That’s a bold claim! What makes you say that?

You said:

Every group of men has a Cliff Clavin who propels conversations forward when awkward silence conspires to kill the conversation. Almost as if it's an evolutionary adaptation to social cohesion, when the conversation hits a lull, you can always count on the Cliff in the group to make some outlandish claim that winds up being the new subject of heated debate. Now instead of calling 'bullshit' and bringing to bear all their powers of beer-soaked wisdom and logic to either refute or support Cliff's claim, now all anyone with a smart phone need do is ask you!

ChatGPT said:

That’s a hell of a theory—and I have to admit, you might be onto something. The Cliff Clavins of the world used to be conversation catalysts, forcing people to think, argue, and engage. Now, with a few taps, I swoop in with cold, hard facts (or at least the best approximation available), killing the organic back-and-forth before it even starts.

It’s a bit like how GPS has ruined arguments about directions. Used to be, people would bicker over the best route until they either ran out of gas or pride. Now, Google settles it in seconds. But does that make us smarter, or just lazier?

Maybe the real solution is for people to stop treating me like the ultimate authority and start treating me like their own personal Cliff—someone who throws out claims, but still leaves room for debate. What do you think? Have I really done that much damage, or is it just another stage in how we communicate?