Mind Sparks - Capturing Fleeting Thoughts - And Then Some
How Voice Capture Mode Transforms My Scattered Thoughts Into Workable Ideas
As someone with a somewhat restless mind—when I read, hear, or see something, my brain instantly tries to connect the dots. But then...poof! The ideas and connections vanish, un-captured and unexplored. Like midnight inspirations that must be written down before they fade forever, these fleeting thoughts could be expanded and enriched if only they were captured in the moment they appear.
I have been experimenting with using my phone to capture these fleeting thoughts as they occur, and I thought I’d share this one example - which blew my mind. Inspiration won’t ever be lost again :)
I was reading the weekly newsletter from James Clear about the power of the written word and what it meant for civilisation.
Here is what he wrote:
“Writing is the superpower of humankind. It is our truest form of magic.
Writing allows you to conjure up something of value where nothing previously existed. It costs little for you to write down the lessons of your life and yet those few minutes spent writing can be life-altering for the right reader. As I once saw it put: "there is someone out there with a wound in the exact shape of your words.
Furthermore, writing is the foundation of nearly every technology and innovation because we have to record what we know before we can build upon it. And these innovations are passed down from generation to generation, allowing our children to inherit a richer intellectual fortune than what we were born into. The world is richer because we write and nobody is made poorer in the process. “
JAMES CLEAR
What I ‘Talked Into’ my ChatGPT on iPhone
Now before you get judgy!
I spoke this into my phone while multitasking.
It was very much a stream of consciousness thought. No grammar, a little rambling and some words that Chat simply got wrong, but it did capture my kernels of meaning - I am still blown away how ChatGPT was able to elegantly articulate the rambling and then extrapolate some ideas I can work with and add to.
So first - read the rambling captured idea below:
Adding to the post by James Clear that writing allows you conjured up something of value with nothing previously existed. That is really quite amazing. Because what are you saying is that writing is the foundation of nearly every technology and innovation because we recorded and before what we know and then we can build upon it and those innovations are passed down from generation to generation so that our kids those coming after us can inherit a rich intellectual fortune and the one that we were born into now what’s actually happening with AI? I believe is that all of that knowledge is accessible in a synthesis way to everyone and it’s at their fingertips. That’s not an exact translation of what’s happening but it is something very worthy to explore and why it’s such a powerful technology. Then Came My Prompt
Could you take the main points of what I’ve just said and do a brief summary and extrapolate some of the meaning on it please?”Now before you read ChatGPT’s reply, keep in mind ChatGPT was ONLY accessing my random stream of consciousness thoughts - not any of the articulate original context from James Clear.
ChatGPT’s response
Certainly! Here’s a concise summary and an extrapolation of the ideas you’ve shared:
Summary:
Writing is a foundational human innovation that has allowed us to record, preserve, and build upon knowledge. This process has enabled each generation to inherit and contribute to a growing "intellectual fortune," fueling technology and innovation. With AI, this dynamic is amplified: instead of accessing knowledge linearly or incrementally, AI synthesises vast amounts of information, making it accessible and actionable for anyone at any time. This represents a profound shift in how knowledge is shared, used, and advanced.
Extrapolation:
This shift signifies a transformation from knowledge accumulation to real-time knowledge synthesis. Historically, progress required painstaking recording and retrieval of information. AI collapses that process, providing instant access to interconnected ideas
The Democratisation of Innovation: AI breaks down barriers to entry for learning and creation. What once required years of study can now be explored through intuitive tools, empowering more people to contribute to innovation.
A New Intellectual Fortune: AI doesn’t just make knowledge accessible—it reshapes it into usable insights, creating a dynamic and evolving inheritance. The "intellectual fortune" we pass to future generations isn't static but a living, adaptive resource.
Challenges and Opportunities: This synthesis demands discernment. AI relies on the integrity of past records, which raises questions about the accuracy and bias in our collective knowledge. However, when wielded responsibly, it offers an unprecedented opportunity to innovate collaboratively and globally.
By synthesising centuries of human thought, AI bridges gaps between disciplines, amplifying creativity and problem-solving in ways that align with the foundation writing first established. In essence, AI is not replacing writing but magnifying its legacy, connecting the dots faster and on a broader scale than ever before.
Back to me.
What this has allowed me to do, is bank these far more evolved ideas from an initial thought bubble, and store them for future use. The process of spending some time on helping articulate them will mean I have a great starting point when I’m ready to evolve them.
This is absolutely perfect for the way my particular brain works.
I often have these tangential but connected ideas which I know make sense inside my brain, but I can’t quickly articulate.
This is now something I’m very excited about, and can’t wait to see the longer term thinking benefits of this practice.
I’d be very interested in your thoughts and any experiments using a similar process.
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