Had a vivid conversation last night with a group of about 10 expat friends at a relaxing restaurant down in Silom that ended up going all over the place.

The group was mostly men, but a few women as well. Basically all people who live and work here and have some sort of busy lifestyle, as opposed to many foreigners living here who no longer work and end up staying home with their own comforts in some form of isolation.

After we finished the meal and had a few drinks, what started as a simple chat ended up covering a lot more ground than anyone expected.

It began with someone talking about how they had switched partners again, another younger local girl like the previous one they were with, and how relationships here all feel kind of the same, but completely different compared to back in the West. That led into a discussion about how men are expected to act in society now, with all the political correctness compared to before, and whether those expectations have actually changed or if people just see things differently as they get older.

At one point one of the guys casually mentioned he prefers ladyboys. No one really reacted surprised or negatively to it, but it did shift the conversation into a wider discussion about what people are actually looking for versus what they thought they wanted before they discovered there is a third option.

From there it drifted into the usual comparisons between life here and back home. A couple of people were very clear about why they left and why they think things are much better here. Others were less certain or convinced, and a few even said they might leave within the next year or two, saying it is just a different set of trade offs and adjustments here rather than a real upgrade to back home.

That then moved into whether things back home have actually gone downhill or if it just looks that way after being away for a while. People brought up the usual points about crime, poverty, immigration, drugs, violence, racial disagreements and general changes in society back home, but again there was no real conclusions.

What stood out was how quickly the conversation moved back and forth and back again between all these topics, and how everyone seemed set in their views from the onset, even though they were coming at it from completely different angles and experiences.

It made me wonder whether people really change their perspective living here over time, or if most of us just settle into a position and then build everything else around it.

Not saying there is a right answer, just something I noticed.

Not bad. You should have added a story of a guy losing everything to a bargirl in your AI prompt, that would boost the chances of user engagement.

26 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

Not bad. You should have added a story of a guy losing everything to a bargirl in your AI prompt, that would boost the chances of user engagement.

Are you going to accuse anyone who can write a coherent couple of paragraphs of using AI to do it for them?

Is this some kind of reverse snobbery - where we now feel we have to dumb down our language and simplify our writing just to avoid our posts from being dismissed as “AI-generated” or “word salad”?

42 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Is this some kind of reverse snobbery - where we now feel we have to dumb down our language and simplify our writing just to avoid our posts from being dismissed as “AI-generated”

This is the gist of the issue: the OP is dumbed down and simplified. Just because there are no grammatical errors does not mean it is well written. To me, it reads like an enhanced list of bullet points, and, though the author will likely not admit it, I am pretty sure they entered a list of stereotypes into an AI interface and asked it to produce the above story.

AI is a collectivist tool in the sense that for a lot of people, it raises the bar, and for a lot of other people, it lowers it. There is a word for that: mediocrity.

That doesn't mean AI is bad across the board: it is a great productivity tool if used properly.

4 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

This is the gist of the issue: the OP is dumbed down and simplified. Just because there are no grammatical errors does not mean it is well written. To me, it reads like an enhanced list of bullet points, and, though the author will likely not admit it, I am pretty sure they entered a list of stereotypes into an AI interface and asked it to produce the above story.

AI is a collectivist tool in the sense that for a lot of people, it raises the bar, and for a lot of other people, it lowers it. There is a word for that: mediocrity.

That doesn't mean AI is bad across the board: it is a great productivity tool if used properly.

This recurring invocation of AI as a rhetorical bludgeon has drifted well beyond the bounds of reason and into the realm of wearying absurdity. One can, of course, acknowledge the legitimate and increasingly sophisticated role that artificial intelligence occupies within modern discourse, yet the reflexive deployment of such an accusation at the mere sight of structured, articulate prose suggests not discernment, but a curious aversion to coherence itself. Must every instance of fluency now be treated as suspect? The charge, repeated so casually, carries all the hallmarks of an unimaginative and rather indolent dismissal.

If one is genuinely persuaded that a thread has been conjured into existence through algorithmic means, then the path of least resistance remains elegantly simple: pass it by in silence. Similarly, if my own contributions strike you as the product of some unseen machine intelligence, you are under no obligation whatsoever to engage with them. Discretion, in such cases, would seem the more dignified option.

It is worth noting that, in another thread, johng saw fit to characterise me as an AI construct, a conclusion that appeared to arise less from evidence than from an inability to marshal a coherent rebuttal. Rumak echoed this sentiment, not out of analytical necessity, but because my remarks proved inconvenient to his position, and you, in turn, lent your support to both assertions. What emerges is a pattern that is difficult to ignore: the AI accusation as a convenient discursive escape valve, deployed in lieu of substantive engagement by those who, for whatever reason, find themselves unequipped to meet argument with argument.

🤯

17 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

This recurring invocation of AI as a rhetorical bludgeon has drifted well beyond the bounds of reason and into the realm of wearying absurdity. One can, of course, acknowledge the legitimate and increasingly sophisticated role that artificial intelligence occupies within modern discourse, yet the reflexive deployment of such an accusation at the mere sight of structured, articulate prose suggests not discernment, but a curious aversion to coherence itself. Must every instance of fluency now be treated as suspect? The charge, repeated so casually, carries all the hallmarks of an unimaginative and rather indolent dismissal.

If one is genuinely persuaded that a thread has been conjured into existence through algorithmic means, then the path of least resistance remains elegantly simple: pass it by in silence. Similarly, if my own contributions strike you as the product of some unseen machine intelligence, you are under no obligation whatsoever to engage with them. Discretion, in such cases, would seem the more dignified option.

It is worth noting that, in another thread, johng saw fit to characterise me as an AI construct, a conclusion that appeared to arise less from evidence than from an inability to marshal a coherent rebuttal. Rumak echoed this sentiment, not out of analytical necessity, but because my remarks proved inconvenient to his position, and you, in turn, lent your support to both assertions. What emerges is a pattern that is difficult to ignore: the AI accusation as a convenient discursive escape valve, deployed in lieu of substantive engagement by those who, for whatever reason, find themselves unequipped to meet argument with argument.

🤯

I expected you to double down, and you did not disappoint. Are you a Leo or a Taurus, by any chance? 😄

I can't speak for anybody else, but I have never accused anyone of using AI because I was unable to produce a valid retort in a debate. I believe that for all my flaws, I am honest and will acknowledge when someone makes a valid point (I have done it with you before).

In this exchange you mention involving johng and rumak, I simply said that I believed you had a recent tendency to use AI to enhance your posts. What I essentially meant was that it was unnecessary and a bit of a shame as I know you are perfectly able to produce content independently (though I do get the 'productivity', i.e. time-saving angle).

I love languages: I love French, I love English, I love Thai… and I find it regrettable that so many people lazily rely on a computer program to express their thoughts, but ultimately, it is just my opinion and I readily admit I am biased (and as I have a slight proclivity for provocation, well… occasionally, it shows).

Whatever weird habits I carried over from Thailand to Canada one thing hasn't budged... ladyboys will never be my thing.

8 hours ago, SoCal1990 said:

At one point one of the guys casually mentioned he prefers ladyboys. No one really reacted surprised or negatively to it

Did he admit to being gay or still pretending to be straight?

45 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

I expected you to double down, and you did not disappoint. Are you a Leo or a Taurus, by any chance? 😄

I can't speak for anybody else, but I have never accused anyone of using AI because I was unable to produce a valid retort in a debate. I believe that for all my flaws, I am honest and will acknowledge when someone makes a valid point (I have done it with you before).

In this exchange you mention involving johng and rumak, I simply said that I believed you had a recent tendency to use AI to enhance your posts. What I essentially meant was that it was unnecessary and a bit of a shame as I know you are perfectly able to produce content independently (though I do get the 'productivity', i.e. time-saving angle).

I love languages: I love French, I love English, I love Thai… and I find it regrettable that so many people lazily rely on a computer program to express their thoughts, but ultimately, it is just my opinion and I readily admit I am biased (and as I have a slight proclivity for provocation, well… occasionally, it shows).

I'm not so sure I doubled down.. I instead gave up - they reply was 100% AI - I did expect you to spot it, call it out and simply recognise the silliness.

There is no productivity, no learning, no benefit in this discussion.

16 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I'm not so sure I doubled down.. I instead gave up - they reply was 100% AI - I did expect you to spot it, call it out and simply recognise the silliness.

There is no productivity, no learning, no benefit in this discussion.

That specific reply was indeed silly, but it does not mean other less obvious ones are not problematic either.

I don't think it is a pointless discussion at all. Others will beg to differ, fine, I am open to any valid arguments.

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

If one is genuinely persuaded that a thread has been conjured into existence through algorithmic means, then the path of least resistance remains elegantly simple: pass it by in silence.

That is well&good unless the extended post is a response to one's 1 or 2 sentence post.

Kinda like a Burns & Allen comedy routine where George asks Gracie: So how is your cousin in Sheboygan Wisconsin? and Gracie goes on for about 5 minutes while George puffs on his cigar.

59 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Did he admit to being gay or still pretending to be straight?

It didn't become a focal point of the discussion. Everyone was friends and nobody would ever intentionally make anybody else uncomfortable. There was also one gay guy in the group. Plus, nobody in the group are the types to judge anybody else on their sexual orientation or preference. We are in Thailand, right? Acceptance on this topic here is pretty broad.

If you move here, and you can finally get what you want, even if it’s just cheaper pad Thai, and then you’re still not happy, then yes, an adaptive suck it up strategy is a good idea

IMO I have not changed here. I have definitely adapted.

I just wish I had known about Thailand much earlier in life, to be more fluent in Thai, and avoid mistakes I made in Australia.

4 hours ago, SoCal1990 said:

It didn't become a focal point of the discussion. Everyone was friends and nobody would ever intentionally make anybody else uncomfortable. There was also one gay guy in the group. Plus, nobody in the group are the types to judge anybody else on their sexual orientation or preference. We are in Thailand, right? Acceptance on this topic here is pretty broad.

Sure, but always funny these guys trying to convince others they're straight

9 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

IMO I have not changed here. I have definitely adapted.

I just wish I had known about Thailand much earlier in life, to be more fluent in Thai, and avoid mistakes I made in Australia.

Do you think a life without mistakes would have made you a better man?

4 minutes ago, Hummin said:

Do you think a life without mistakes would have made you a better man?

Valid point. We do learn from our mistakes.

I don't know if I would be a better man, but I would be a lot wealthier.

9 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Are you going to accuse anyone who can write a coherent couple of paragraphs of using AI to do it for them?

Is this some kind of reverse snobbery - where we now feel we have to dumb down our language and simplify our writing just to avoid our posts from being dismissed as “AI-generated” or “word salad”?

The OP post.

6 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Valid point. We do learn from our mistakes.

I don't know if I would be a better man, but I would be a lot wealthier.

Even if some experiences hurt, in one way or another, you still own them today, and if they made you wiser and better, they mattered.

They truly mattered for me, and I am grateful for every experience that guided me to where I am today.

27 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Sure, but always funny these guys trying to convince others they're straight

It is of no consequence and not worthy of discussion to those further up the evolutionary ladder.

Many primitives seem obsessed with other peoples sexuality.

5 minutes ago, Enoon said:

It is of no consequence and not worthy of discussion to those further up the evolutionary ladder.

Many primitives seem obsessed with other peoples sexuality.

It's good that you admit to being gay, no need to hide it anymore

16 minutes ago, Ralf001 said:

The OP post.

Welcome to the future, press the mic icon, give your key words, and voila

7 hours ago, Celsius said:

Whatever weird habits I carried over from Thailand to Canada one thing hasn't budged... ladyboys will never be my thing.

There's still some time left.😀

13 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

This recurring invocation of AI as a rhetorical bludgeon has drifted well beyond the bounds of reason and into the realm of wearying absurdity

Eff me, that's a mouthful! 555

Thailand has changed me to the extent that i am far more mai pen rai than I was before I hit LOS

9 hours ago, Ralf001 said:

The OP post.

Colour me astonished!

49 minutes ago, Yagoda said:

Thailand has changed me to the extent that i am far more mai pen rai than I was before I hit LOS

Same, I don't get uptight much compared to before… and I believe my quality of life has improved thanks to that. That's one good change the Thais have inspired me to make.

18 minutes ago, rattlesnake said:

Same, I don't get uptight much compared to before… and I believe my quality of life has improved thanks to that. That's one good change the Thais have inspired me to make.

Its the ability to be in any situation and say, wow, cool, and move on

1 minute ago, Yagoda said:

Its the ability to be in any situation and say, wow, cool, and move on

Pretty much, yeah. Eckhart Tolle wrote a great book about it, The Power of Now.

1 minute ago, rattlesnake said:

Pretty much, yeah. Eckhart Tolle wrote a great book about it, The Power of Now.

Of course Im stoned a lot which makes it easier. 😀