“Norman, you know what’s pretty cool? If you enter a wrong prompt (command) into ChatGPT, you get a pretty bad result. It’s just like the law of attraction…”
My friend Yves laughs as he sends me this voice message a few days ago. And he’s right. If I type a vague, unclear, or completely poorly phrased question into Google or ChatGPT, the answer will be just as unclear. “Create a beautiful image.” Great question. But what does beautiful mean to you? “I want a wonderful life, dear universe.” Nice that you want that. But what does a wonderful life mean to YOU?
That’s truly a great question. What is the most important thing for a good life? When can we say, at the end of our time here, that we’ve lived a good life? There is no right or wrong answer. I find a Harvard study from 2023 particularly interesting in this context. It actually began back in 1938 and aimed to answer the question: “What truly makes people happy in life?” And one of the most important factors was the way we relate to other people. Or in other words: deep, meaningful friendships.
Yet all too often, these friendships are not the highest priority. Because between 6.5 and 11 hours a day, we are on our screens. TV. Phone. Laptop. Only about 18% of Germans meet once a week for 30–90 minutes with close friends with whom they have deep conversations. If we put that into perspective over a period of 60 years, you will have spent 20 years in front of a screen and only 2.5 years in real human connection.
Well… that’s interesting. Let’s just call it interesting. Many people my age (between 42 and 49) start questioning whether the energy they invest in certain things is still the right one. Some call it a “midlife crisis.” I would rather say: it’s the realization of what I no longer want and what I truly want instead. Because the years ahead are becoming fewer. And for many, it’s time to finally take action instead of tolerating things that don’t feel good anymore.
The saddest people at heart in this study were those in their 80s who had spent their entire lives putting fame, work, and success above their social connections. Because in the end, these people found themselves standing there alone. And all that money didn’t help them anymore. Except maybe attracting more false friends who were only interested in the money and the parties.
Back to Yves’ idea about the prompt. What if, instead of asking “How can I get the most out for myself?”, you started asking: “What can I do for others?” And ideally for people who truly matter to you? Your time with them would increase, you would do something good and according to the law of attraction, you would receive something good in return. Would that be an interesting idea for the years ahead? Because one thing is certain: your life and my life are finite. At some point, it’s over. For all of us. And whether an AI continues to carry your knowledge forward as an avatar won’t matter to your human self anymore.
What question do you want to ask the universe now, to truly receive what you wish for later in life? More gadgets, more electronic toys—or real human connection? Be precise. Be clear. And be genuinely human. Because in the end, it’s not the years spent in front of a screen that count—but the moments spent with people.
