30 Human Experiences Robots will Never Understand
What feelings make us human?
Random Observation/Comment #891: Robots may outthink us, outlast us, and even out-perform us, but they’ll never ugly cry to the beginning of Up. Humanity wins on the feels.
//Generated by ChatGPT off of a pretty fun conversation about being human
Why this List?
No matter how advanced machines become, they'll always be missing the messy magic of living. This is a tribute to the illogical, fleeting, and deeply personal moments that define us.
Heartbreak – The emotional splinter that simultaneously breaks you and reminds you that you felt deeply. We’ve all felt this with the mix of emotions spanning betrayal and uncertainty, which hopefully leads to peace with great memories. Rewatched “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” because it was on the NYTimes best movies list and this definitely came to mind.
A Sudden Laugh in Silence – You’re probably scrolling and then all of sudden something just gets your sense of humor. I love that random snort-laugh alone. Wife would ask “what’s funny?” and after explaining it, “I guess you had to be there.” She was literally right there. I’m sure there’s a stand-up routine in there somewhere.
Nervous Sweating on a First Date – I don’t even remember how to date, but I do remember the pressure of being on my best behavior of the best version of myself that my parents would be proud of.
The Euphoria After a Long Cry – This doesn’t happen often, but I do love that mental clarity and soul-cleansing weirdness that follows the emotional flood.
The Smell of Grandma’s Kitchen – A memory encoded in scent that brings you home instantly. I loved those Thanksgivings where I help make the mashed potatoes.
Being Moved to Tears by a Song – Especially when you didn’t know you needed to feel something. There are always those songs from our wedding or just the good old days that can stir up some emotions.
Regret Over the Thing You Didn’t Say – The haunted “what if” that replays on emotional loop. I hope my AI doesn’t learn human anxiety.
The Weight of Holding a Newborn – Equal parts joy, terror, and responsibility. I remember the moment clearly. She clearly smiled because she just farted.
The Panic of Realizing you left the oven on or forgot to lock the door - Hopefully everything is connected so my Clembot can just look in my connected house state and let me know how everything is functioning.
The Ache of Longing – That soul-stretching, physically real feeling of missing someone not in the room. I guess this may also be the ache of loneliness.
Inside Jokes That Need No Words – A glance, a smirk, and a decade of history compressed into one second. I remember bursting out laughing at a look from across the classroom after the teacher said something not even remotely funny.
The First Sip of Coffee on a Cold Morning – That slow sigh of “okay, I’m human again.” Who doesn’t love a hot coffee?
Falling in Love Slowly – I wonder if I’m giving myself the option to fall in love again. Maybe I haven’t been observing and listening to the slow burn that builds trust and looking for a surprise. Adulting is so hard because of the slow numbing that takes things for granted.
Dancing Alone to Your Favorite Song – Especially when no one’s watching and you don't care anyway, you’ll bust out that Golden k-pop demon hunters song.
Self-Sabotage – The illogical choice you know is wrong… but still feels right in the moment.
The Bittersweetness of a Goodbye Hug – A moment dense with love, loss, and unspoken words. Airports are weirdly beautiful.
A Birthday Call from a Friend Who Remembers – The unexpected warmth of being thought of without prompt. I do like answering phone calls from friends. I feel like I’d always pick up the phone if it says a person’s name I know in real life.
Forgetting Why You Walked Into the Room – Equal parts hilarious and maybe I’ve taken too much of something.
The Guilt of Hurting Someone You Love – The impossible paradox of good intentions and unintended harm. Guilt is highly motivating.
The Thrill of a Spontaneous Trip – Buying a last-minute ticket and not knowing what’s next. I have been Clemens’d a few times in my life and I may just purposefully do one for the hell of it.
Catching Your Reflection Mid-Epiphany – A weird, lucid moment where time bends and you whisper, “oh… I get it now.”
Singing Loudly in the Shower – Pure joy mixed with acapella and forgotten lyrics. Singing in the shower is the best.
Choosing Forgiveness – Not because it’s logical, but because it's healing and our egos are not that important.
The Fear of Being Found Out – Imposter syndrome at its finest. I think this is a deeply human irrationality.
An Unexpected Compliment That Stays With You – Simple words that echo years later because someone really liked my boots. I didn’t realize it was because shoes compliments are mainly ways for gay people to see if you’re gay. If you pull up the Amazon listing of the shoe you’re wearing, then you are definitely not gay.
Seeing Someone You Love After Time Apart – I think this is visiting New York. I think I should visit New York again.
The Comfort of a Shared Silence – A quiet so rich that nothing more needs to be said. We all need that time off the phone and journaling together.
Being Wrong and Admitting It – Growth hurts. Ego bruises. Humanity thrives.
Falling Asleep Holding Someone's Hand – A small touch because we’re both furnaces and cuddling is like a 2 minute activity.
Wonder – That childlike awe when staring at the stars, realizing how small and miraculous life is. I hope to always wonder.
~See Lemons Still Human
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For more AI posts:
My Clembot AI Journey
Random Observation/Comment #878: I’ve carefully considered what I’ve outsourced to Clembot and the process of writing lists is definitely not fully one of them. I don’t want to stop exercising the part of my brain that does hard things.