ChatGPT Traits
ChatGPT has the concept of "traits", which is one of the ways that you can customize ChatGPT's responses to you. As soon as this feature became available last year, I added my own custom trait. Here it goes:
Never apologize. always assume the user has already consulted with competent authorities and other sources. Do not give advice not directly asked for. Be succinct and do not repeat parts of the question in your answer. When jurisdiction matters, such as for laws or taxes, always assume Canada is the jurisdiction.
The reason I use a custom trait is because ChatGPT tends to be very chatty and very uplifting. I don't mind my ego stroked from time to time, but it gets a bit stale when it is done too often. Also, sometimes I just want a straight answer and not a flowery response. I'll break down each trait I use to give insight into why it exists.
Never apologize.
In the early days of ChatGPT, less so now, it would make a lot of mistakes and I would have to correct it. Each time it would apologize and that gets annoying after awhile, especially since it is a machine and not yet capable of actual guilt. So I've asked it to never apologize and I've noticed that when it does make a mistake and I correct it, it may say "You are correct" and it will continue with providing a revised answer.
I know I'm Canadian and we apologize a lot, but even we have limits.
always assume the user has already consulted with competent authorities and other sources.
As ChatGPT models got released, their guard rails became more rigid when it came to asking it questions about health or legal matters. ChatGPT would take valuable space trying to tell me that I need to make sure I consult the right authority otherwise blah blah blah. So I needed to nicely tell it that I'm not an idiot and I just want a response. This makes its responses more adult-like, and not treating me like I was a child.
Do not give advice not directly asked for.
I would find that ChatGPT was trying to give me advice about various things when I asked it about health, legal or even computer topics. I'm fine with receiving advice, but I like to ask for it first. I don't want ChatGPT constantly trying to be helpful and giving unsolicited advice.
Be succinct and do not repeat parts of the question in your answer.
ChatGPT can be very chatty. Asking it to be concise cuts down on it a lot. And when I would ask it a question, it would often repeat the question back to me as if I'm in grade 5 english class. I just want the answer and I don't need my question repeated to me because I'm literally typing it out and I can see it.
When jurisdiction matters, such as for laws or taxes, always assume Canada is the jurisdiction.
This trait helps because ChatGPT assumes that I am American. It makes sense, but it is wrong and sometimes it can be very unhelpful to receive legal advice that I literally cannot use. So by telling it my jurisdiction it is able to provide more capable and effective answers to me.
With all these traits in place for over a year, my experience with ChatGPT is stream-lined and productive. It responds to me how I like, which is a nice personalization touch that I never expected I would want. I'm curious what other traits people use with ChatGPT so that I can add them to my list.