An Experiment with GPT4

[remod]

Thanks @my_key , I get you agree with the general answer that this is not the moment to start a project to make my cards commercially available. I'm sure some more "purification" needs to be done, I'll figure out what that is.

The reason for me asking (again) if it was the right time for me to start any "commercial" activities around my I Ching cards is that I discovered this Kickstarter. Much simpler (by design!) than any of my card decks. I wish him all the success and I also sent a small contribution, if he gets traction it may be a good sign for the future me.

I think that one of the reasons my cards got so little attention is that nobody really tried to make and use them, maybe if I can make them available through some major platform like Etsy or (God forbid) Amazon, they will get more consideration.

In this old thread, I tried to explain that they can be used just for tracking the outcome while you use your preferred method for casting the lines, they are not meant to completely replace coins or yarrow stalks. They are extremely convenient and I'm sure that if anyone tried them they will feel the same. On the other hand, I'd love to hear from somebody who did try them and absolutely hated them. It would be immensely helpful for me to understand what's wrong.

I like how continuous and fluid is the process is when I use seven cards: I shuffle the deck, use two cards to cast a line then one will record the received line, and the other one is reinserted in the deck for the next line. Only cards, no other object involved, no interruption in the flow of thoughts, immediate visualization of the primary and secondary hexagrams at the end of the process. I love it.

I do not expect (nor need) to make any money out of them. The only reason I even thought of making them commercially available is that people tend to assign little value to what is free. "If the creator himself is keen to give them away, they must be of no value", it's a (mostly subconscious) reaction that someone may have. Me being able to say "You can buy them on Amazon, but I'm so kind to offer a free DIY version for you to try" may be more appealing. But I don't know. I'll think about it when the time is right.

 

[my_key]

Thanks @my_key , I get you agree with the general answer that this is not the moment to start a project to make my cards commercially available. I'm sure some more "purification" needs to be done, I'll figure out what that is.

It'll all come together as it should when it should.
Without any real need for financial gain or success you'll be under no pressure to launch too soon, so 20 can take as much time as it needs.
I think that putting some monetary value to the cards will instill the transaction with weight. Creating greater meaning by grounding them in a real and practical transaction of exchange rather than presenting them as a give away. Give aways, like the toys with McDonald's Happy Meals, are too easily discarded without full play or appreciation of value.

 

[remod]

I tested how well the latest version works when faced to a longer conversation (i.e. with following up questions.
I asked about switching from C (my favourite programming language) to Rust (an emergent and very acclaimed programming language).
For those interested, here is how the conversation went. It seems to me it carried itself quite consistently.

However, I do disagree with parts of the first reading:

Changing line: 18.6 "Do not serve kings and princes. Set your sights higher.
Perspectives: This line suggests looking beyond conventional or authoritative standards. In your case, it could be an encouragement to transcend traditional programming norms (represented by C) and aim for more innovative or advanced methodologies, like those offered by Rust.

Here I read this line as a warning not to follow the common trends, where "king and princes" would be the tech community just drumming on Rust because is "modern" and to look for what is really important. Ji Yi, instead, read "king and princes" as "the establishment" and identified "C" as being "the tradition".

Frankly, I find it interesting that now I can have an alternative reading that I might compare with mine and which might me think twice about my own reading. I still think that mine is more correct and that, in fact, I think that the response talks more about me looking deeper into which problem I am trying to solve by switching to C, rather than what gain I could get from the switch.

 

[remod]

Sorry for the necroposting.

Just to let anyone interested know that "Jī Yí (机疑)" (my GPT4 based oracle) is now freely available to everybody.
You still need to register to OpenAI but GPTs (the customized agents) are now accessible through the free plan with no need for a paid subscription.

To summarize, it will use the I Ching to give its perspective on the response to your question. It will cast hexagrams with yarrow stalks probabilities and uses the Whilelm text wich I (machine) translated from German to English to take advantage that the German text in the Public Domain (while the Bayes translation is not).

For example, if you ask:

Is it the right moment to plan a change in my carreer?

It will cast an hexagram and will provide an answer based on the hexagram obtained.

If, instead, you prefer to cast the hexagram yourself and only get an interpretation, you can ask (assuming you got 34.2.5 as response) :

34.2.5 Is it the right moment to plan a change in my carreer?

And it will use hexagram 34 and 55 as the basis for your response.

We already had discussed at length of the good and bad of using AI for I Ching but I'll gladly will take any feedback you may have.

 

[my_key]

Great News. I'm sure there has been a lot more work and endeavour involved than you have disclosed in this thread. Thank you and well done.

 

[eowyndernhelme]

Hello, remod!

I see that I can now check out Yishi with my free ChatGPT account (I am much too poor to afford a monthly fee to use the upgraded version).

So I asked the question about a company picnic I was obliged to attend yesterday held by my son's workplace.

Being extremely shy and introverted, I absolutely did not want to go, and was busy thinking up excuses all the way up until my ride came. The whole politics of company get-togethers, combined with the seemingly inevitable addition of alcohol, has only led to bad experiences in the past when I was a cog. Plus, in this case it was my son's work, so there was that extra pressure to perform for someone else's reputation.

I wasn't going to drink, but I had to also not behave like a complete wet blanket. I expected the people there to be a lot younger than I, and cannabis is legal here. I anticipated that there would be some smoking, and I do not partake as that just makes me even more paranoid around other people than I am normally

So that is the background, but the exact question I asked was, "what should i know about going to the work picnic today"

I was given hexagram 43.5>34

Yishi gave me interpretations based on the starting hexagram and resulting hexagram, as well as the changing line, but I'll just post the changing line and the summary below:

Changing line: 43.5:

"Firm resolve is needed in the face of the tares.
Walking in the centre remains free from blemish."

Explanation:
This line emphasizes the need for firm resolve and inner strength.
At the picnic, maintain your integrity and stay true to your values.
By staying centered and balanced, you can navigate any challenges without compromising yourself.

Summary:
Today at the work picnic, you are poised for a significant breakthrough or realization, as indicated by Hexagram 43.
Speak truthfully and act decisively, but avoid confrontations and be mindful of potential risks.
The image of the lake rising to the sky encourages generosity and sharing your positive energy with others.

Changing line 43.5 advises you to maintain firm resolve and stay true to your values, navigating any challenges with balance and integrity.

Hexagram 34, "The Great Power," underscores the importance of perseverance and steady progress.
Your strength and determination will be evident, allowing you to positively influence others and fully enjoy the event.
Reflect on how you can embody these qualities today, ensuring a meaningful and impactful experience at the picnic."

What actually happened at the picnic:

First of all, because of the heat, the picnic was no longer a picnic, but was held in a more climate controlled area, i.e. a co-worker's basement.

I did not have to worry about alcohol, there was none, at least none offered. Bottled water and iced tea were the drinks of the day.

I didn't have to worry about small talk with the attendees; although the company is not a software company, all the people there were complete geeks and nerds, just like me They had some Star Wars playing on the big tv, a group of people were watching a guy play Borderlands 2 in the corner, there was an adjoining kitchen from which food kept coming (the cooks were persons who enjoyed cooking more than hanging out). My grandkids came, my son is their uncle, and he took them over to the park to use their scooter and ruined their dinner by stopping the ice cream man. Everything felt very casual and tolerant.

All in all, it seemed I did not have to worry about maintaining "firm resolve" and staying "true to my values" and the only real challenge was navigating up and down the basement steps, which I did with the help of a couple strong people. I thought it was a good touch how Yishi used variations on the phrase "at the picnic" at appropriate times to personalize the reading.

I don't know if I influenced anyone positively, but I did "fully enjoy the event." And there was indeed a breakthrough; I got along so well there that I've been invited to come back every Saturday for game night (they play DnD, which even my son was not aware of).

So, remod, I hope you still wanted people to try out Yishi, and if so, I will be doing that again. I'm not a very high-flying thinker, and much of what others type about on this site is beyond me, though I do try to absorb it; apparently there's a reason I did not take philosophy in school

At the end, I think a hexagram more along the lines of, "don't worry, I have everything under control, Boogah" would have been more to the point. because it seemed as though I really didn't have to work at keeping centered at all. But there are lots of times using manual methods where I haven't got what Yi was trying to tell me until much passed time, and some readings I've never understood.

But to me, this reading was pretty right-on, and I'm interested to examine this further.

--Pam

 

[remod]

Thanks for your feedback Pam.
I'm happy you found it an interesting interpretation (and happy to know the gathering was a success).

These days I seldom cast hexagrams, but when I do, I first give my interpretation and then check with Yi Shi if anything in his interpretation resonates with me (something I might have missed or I might have interpreted in a forceful way).

That's why I added the ability to specify the response at the beginning, so I can use a "second opinion" for my interpretations.

I believe that the new version of GPT-4 changed something in the way I handle scripts and text. For example, it happened to me once that the hexagram I specified was ignored and a new one was generated.

If you notice anything "strange", please let me know and I'll try to fix it.