Quantitative Answers Found Within You
Over the past five years, I've been consistently journaling using a software called Notion. Initially, the convenience of digital journaling—being able to write on my phone anywhere—surpassed the tactile appeal of traditional notebooks. What began as a tool for organization evolved into something more: mood check-ins, to-do lists, reflections on what was hurting, and recognition of what was going well. Over time, this practice amassed a significant amount of personal data.
Personal Data Collection
Daily journaling creates a rich database of personal experiences, emotions, and patterns.
AI Analysis
Leveraging ChatGPT to analyze language patterns and provide deeper insights into emotional states.
Recently, I began using ChatGPT as a key resource in developing my startup, Emerson Gray Consulting. In this process, I've posed thousands of questions to ChatGPT Pro, creating a growing database of my language patterns, aspirations, and reflections—essentially a mirror of my inner world, distilled through my writing.
The Experiment
One experiment stood out. I used my GPT database as a kind of impromptu therapist, reflecting on complex emotions I was navigating in my relationship. I uploaded essays exploring my feelings, and then designed a series of prompts that encouraged the model to dive deeper. Each question built upon the last, allowing the GPT to analyze my language, identify patterns, and offer reflections that felt like an external perspective on my internal experience.
In many ways, this mirrors the essence of good therapy: the act of unburdening your thoughts and emotions onto a neutral listener who interprets and gently reflects them back. When we bypass the uncanny feeling of speaking to software, fascinating insights emerge—ones rooted in the quantitative analysis of emotions expressed through language.
Language Analysis
Every word we speak is finite; analyzing these linguistic outputs offers profound potential to uncover patterns our conscious minds might overlook.
Emotional Patterns
Tracking emotional trends and value systems through the patterns embedded in our language.
I call this concept Emotional Engineering. By building a structured database of our thoughts, preferences, and patterns, we could unlock a deeper understanding of our experiences, fostering self-awareness and offering meaningful support in navigating the complexities of life. This is not just an abstract idea but a tangible method for bridging the gap between the emotional and the analytical, revealing a clearer picture of who we are and where we are going.