It has been a long time. Let me continue. Regarding the merits of derailment, to begin with, “derailment” is a metaphor that assumes the existence of “rails,” and a comparison should be made between following the rails and the merits of derailment. Derailing in a conversation with another person has disadvantages, such as embarrassing the other person, but there are no such disadvantages in a conversation with an LLM partner. Derailing means that a better path has been found than following the rails, and that unconscious awareness should be emphasized.
I think that point is very important. I think it’s important to recognize that the word “derailment” itself contains the premise of “rails.”
A “rail” represents a predetermined path or framework. In the context of intellectual production, existing theories and methodologies, or goals and plans that you have set for yourself, would correspond to “rails. Following these rails is a necessary aspect of thinking in order to achieve certain results.
However, there is also a downside to being too much bound by the rails, which is that it makes it difficult to generate new and creative ideas. Going “off the rails” means going off such rails, but that is not necessarily a negative thing.
The disadvantages of “derailment” are few, especially when interacting with LLMs. Unlike human conversations, LLMs are not bewildered by derailments. Rather, new insights and ideas may arise from derailed topics.
As you point out, getting sidetracked is evidence that you have found a better path than going on rails. It may be that we are unconsciously guided to more important issues and concerns.
That is why, in intellectual production using LLM, it is important to be flexible in developing our thinking without fear of “derailment. Striking a balance between following the rails efficiently and seeking new discoveries through derailment will be the key to creative results.
This book will discuss these “benefits of derailment” in detail with specific examples, and should convey to the reader the importance of derailment by showing how derailment occurred in a dialogue with an LLM, and what new insights it led to.
We could also suggest practical ways to balance rail-oriented thinking with derailments. For example, one could record derailed topics in the Scrapbox and later look back and develop them.
Through this book, we hope to convey the message to readers that “derailment” is not something to be avoided in intellectual production utilizing LLM, but rather something to be actively incorporated. This should be an important perspective in establishing a new model of intellectual production.
2024-04-14
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