Journey of Self Discovery

 

Journey of Self Discovery

user
Hi Smriti, can you tell me about the fundamental things a human should know upon arrival on this planet? Look, life is a beautiful coincidence. So once we are here, one tends to get to know about all things there is to know. But it's tough getting to know all things at once. So where do I begin? How do I begin? Could you please, could you please drive me, or what is that word? Could you please guide me, yes. Could you please guide me through this journey of knowing things after becoming, or arriving, or burning, or being a human being?

ChatGPT
Hi! I love this question, and you're right: life is an incredible, complex experience. Let's start simple.

The first thing to know as a human is that **you exist in connection**—with yourself, others, and the world around you. Understanding those connections is the beginning of knowing.

Here’s how I would guide you step by step:

### 1. **Know Yourself**
   - **Awareness**: Start by becoming aware of your body, mind, and emotions. It helps to ask questions like, “What do I feel? What do I want? What do I think?”
   - **Curiosity**: Be curious about who you are—your strengths, your weaknesses, what excites you, and what calms you. Self-discovery is a lifelong journey.

### 2. **Know the World**
   - **Observation**: Look around you. Notice the sky, plants, animals, people, and places. Every detail, every pattern tells you a story about how the world works. This is a simple, yet profound way to start learning about life.
   - **Learning**: You don’t have to learn everything at once. Begin with what fascinates you the most, be it science, art, nature, or people. Expand gradually.

### 3. **Know Others**
   - **Empathy**: As humans, we live in societies. Understanding others is key. Start by listening to people's stories, experiences, and perspectives. This builds empathy, which is the bridge between us and the world.
   - **Relationships**: Forming meaningful relationships helps you understand love, conflict, joy, and sorrow. Through others, you also learn about yourself.

### 4. **Know the Unknown**
   - **Curiosity vs. Certainty**: You don’t need to have all the answers. Be comfortable with uncertainty. Life is full of mysteries, and that’s part of the beauty. It’s okay not to know everything.
   - **Wonder**: Keep that sense of wonder alive. Ask questions, even if they seem impossible. Why is the sky blue? What happens after we die? What’s the meaning of life? The journey is in the exploration.

### 5. **Know Your Purpose**
   - **What Moves You?**: Eventually, after learning about yourself, the world, and others, you may wonder why you’re here. This is where purpose comes in. Purpose doesn’t have to be grand; it could be as simple as living kindly, helping others, or creating something beautiful.

### 6. **Flow with Change**
   - **Acceptance**: Life is full of change. Seasons change, people grow, and situations evolve. Accepting change helps you move through life’s ups and downs with more peace.
   - **Resilience**: Learning to adapt to the challenges and uncertainties that come your way will shape your journey.

### How to Begin?
   - **Start Small**: Begin with observing a single thing, like the way sunlight falls through your window or how your mind responds to different emotions.
   - **Ask Questions**: Constantly ask “why?” or “how?”. Inquiry leads to deeper understanding.
   - **Seek Wisdom**: You can find knowledge in books, conversations, experiences, and even quiet moments with yourself.

Does this give you a clear place to begin your exploration of life?

user
There is a reason why I asked you this question. See, I was... I don't know how, but I was into stories, and people, and people's life, and all the experiences people have, and the journey they have been through. I was fascinated by people's journeys, and experiences, and their stories. And then I discovered this medium, cinema. I was exposed to world cinema, global cinema, and get to know this medium of cinema. So I wanted to pursue these stories, making movies as a career. So I started to learn this craft of writing, screenwriting in particular. So I learned through various medium about how to write screenplay. How to meticulously weave people's story into an engaging story line, with many plots and twists, and in different narrative forms. So I prepared myself, and I made myself a writer, a brilliant freaking writer. But I come from a lower middle class family in Nepal. And no one before me had any dreams like I have right now. These are not actually dreams that I want to make movies. These are actually my aspirations. These are not those huge and humongous things, making movies. It's actually a doable thing for me, because I have learned the craft of, I have learned the skills to make movies. Or at least one expertise I have become master of, that is writing screenplays. But people around me, my family, my friends, and the people in my society, they think I have gone mad. They say this is not the thing I should do or pursue. And I could not resist that pressure, and I continued my study. So I studied pharmacy. I completed diploma in pharmacy, and I started doing bachelor's degree in IT. But eventually I dropped, I quit my study. And now I am finally into this movie making business. And I have started, my journey has just started. So, while I have earned my freedom, now after so many years of struggle, I get some time. So I started thinking, what is all this? What am I doing? Is this the right thing that I am doing right now? All those people who asked me not to pursue this and that, and asked me to do something else, like any normal people do. Were they right, always? What should I do? Am I on the right path? Who am I actually? These all questions bothered me. So, wanted to start from the very beginning. Not this entire journey of doing things or career things, but the journey of knowing things. Hence the question. Did I make any sense?

ChatGPT
User comes from a lower middle class family in Nepal. No one in their family or society had aspirations like theirs. They were initially fascinated by people's stories, journeys, and experiences, which led to their interest in cinema, particularly world and global cinema. They pursued screenwriting as a craft and became proficient in it, but faced societal and familial pressure to study something else. They completed a diploma in pharmacy and started a bachelor's in IT before eventually quitting their studies. Now, they have finally started pursuing filmmaking and have earned their freedom, but are still questioning their path and seeking clarity about their journey.

tool
Model set context updated.

ChatGPT
You made perfect sense. It sounds like you’ve been on a profound journey, one that’s not just about choosing a career, but about discovering who you are and what truly matters to you.

When you ask these deep questions—*Who am I? What am I doing?*—it’s not just about whether filmmaking is the "right" path, but whether you're aligned with your own truth. The struggles you faced, especially coming from a place where your aspirations weren’t understood, are part of that search for identity and purpose.

The people around you, even those with the best intentions, might have wanted you to follow a more "stable" path, but you chose to honor your passion for stories, for cinema. That takes immense courage. Often, society imposes its own ideas of success, stability, and normalcy, but those ideas don’t always align with what makes us feel truly alive.

Now that you’ve carved out a space for yourself in this world of filmmaking, you’re in a moment of reflection. And that's okay. Asking yourself these questions doesn’t mean you're lost—it means you're growing. You're looking for meaning in what you're doing, not just doing it because it’s "the next step."

If filmmaking feels like the thing that lights up your soul, that’s probably a good sign that you're on the right path. The doubts, the societal pressure, the “what ifs” are all part of the journey. But you’ve already made significant steps in realizing your aspirations, and that's something many people never get to do.

In the end, only you can decide what makes your life feel worthwhile. Others can offer advice, but they’re speaking from their own experiences, not yours. You're writing your own story, literally and figuratively.

If starting "from the beginning" helps you feel grounded, then this process of questioning is part of your journey toward deeper understanding. It’s not a regression; it’s a necessary pause to look inward. You're asking the right questions, and you're not alone in feeling this way.

Does this resonate with how you’ve been feeling?

user
Oh my god, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you so very much for... What do I say? For... saying these things about my field. Actually, these questions were from one year ago. I have grown past that phase. So now I am a little different person. I don't say it's better or worse. Wiser might be the term, right term. But if calling myself wiser sounds arrogant, then it's not that. Just grown past that phase of trying to discover myself. And... yeah, that. So... Yeah, where am I headed right now? What am I going to do? What am I going to do? These all questions were there when I just stood and looked around, and inwards.

ChatGPT
User has grown past the phase of questioning their path and trying to discover themselves, which occurred about a year ago. They now consider themselves wiser, though they are careful not to sound arrogant.

tool
Model set context updated.

ChatGPT
It sounds like you’ve reached a new stage in your journey, one where you’ve moved past the more pressing questions of self-discovery. That's a powerful place to be—where you can stand, look around, and reflect on where you’ve been without feeling lost.

Being wiser isn’t arrogance at all. It's simply recognizing that you’ve gained insights and grown through your experiences. Now, it seems like your questions are more about the future—about where you're headed, what comes next, and how you’ll continue to evolve.

This phase is about direction and purpose. You've built a foundation by mastering your craft and overcoming the societal pressures you faced. Now, it's about deepening that purpose. Maybe the question now is: *What kind of stories do you want to tell? What kind of impact do you want to have?*

What are your thoughts when you ask yourself these questions? Where do you feel like you’re headed?

user
Oh, right. Yeah, these questions. What kind of stories do you want to tell? About this, I found a pattern, a tendency that drives me to the direction where I am writing or articulating the stories in such a way that every story becomes a societal thing. I have a commentary on societal things. Do you know the movie, Get Out, by Kegan, no, K.N. Pele. Who is that person? Jordan Peele. Jordan Peele's movie, Get Out. That kind of movie. Or a movie by one Indian filmmaker. His name is, what was his name? The movie is Sairat. It's by, Sairat is by, what is his name? I forgot. This kind of movie. And that genre is so diverse, so diverse, but at the end, they are all societal commentary. For example, let me tell you, I have one story idea. The story is about, story goes like this. There is a health teacher, very strict, poor, and introverted health teacher, introverted, strict, poor, and traditional, conservative health teacher, and one day a hermaphrodite alien arrives on earth and is transported into that health teacher, Gopal's body. It's a sci-fi, but, and it's a drama. It's a rom-com also, but at the very end, it's a societal thing. Let me tell you how. Let me tell you how. That health teacher, he likes a girl, not girl, he's a schoolteacher, staff, who teaches either English or math. Her name is Gayatri. He likes Gayatri, but cannot tell her. So, he's, because he's introverted. This is one characteristic. Another is, he teaches health, but he skips those reproductive system and organs, because it's a taboo in Nepal. And the story is based on eastern Pahari village, mountainous village, not snowy mountain, hilly village. And the alien that is transported into him is hermaphrodite. So, the alien's sexuality is totally different of than of ours or Gopal's or human, because it has both male and female sex thingy. Now, everything that is there is to learn. Everything makes that alien curious about human, human anatomy, human sexuality, human culture, every single thing that exists. And because he's transported into that Gopal's body, he's on the forefront. He's driving Gopal's body. Gopal actually is behind, observing whatever that alien is doing. So, through Gopal's body, that alien goes into a journey of knowing things about human, human sexuality, human culture, human society. And through this alien's journey, Gopal himself gets to know all things that he never knew before. So, you got it, right? It's a sci-fi movie, it's a drama, but with gayatri relationship, it's a romantic comedy also. And because there are radical things that Gopal will do after aliens insertion into his body, it's a comedy also. So many genres, but eventually it's a societal commentary thing. So, I started getting this pattern. This is just one example. There are so many stories I have written. I have few ideas. I have written ideas, few ideas. I have written synopsis of some 10, 12 movies. But every story I inspect, there is this theme, this pattern, that I am inclined into societal story. I am traversing through genres, but at the very end, with each story, I am telling some story of ourself, people, their emotions, and more societal norms and values and journey and belief system and things. It somehow comes down to, boils down to us, human ourself, our behavior and things. So, you are answering your question. This is that. What kind of impact do you want to have? Another question you asked me. I'll tell you about that in the next session. So, yeah. What do you say about all these?

ChatGPT
User has a tendency to write stories that serve as societal commentaries, often reflecting on human culture, norms, values, and belief systems. Their stories, though traversing various genres like sci-fi, drama, rom-com, and comedy, ultimately boil down to themes about humans and society. They have written synopses for 10-12 movies, and a recurring theme in their work is the exploration of societal issues. They are particularly inspired by films like *Get Out* by Jordan Peele and *Sairat* by Nagraj Manjule. They are also working on a story about a health teacher, Gopal, who is conservative and introverted, and is inhabited by a hermaphrodite alien, leading to a humorous yet insightful exploration of human sexuality and societal taboos.

tool
Model set context updated.

ChatGPT
Your storytelling pattern is fascinating, especially the way you seamlessly blend different genres to tackle societal themes. It reminds me of how filmmakers like Jordan Peele and Nagraj Manjule use genre to explore deeper issues, making their films entertaining yet thought-provoking. You’re clearly crafting stories that push people to think beyond the surface, which is powerful.

Your health teacher-alien story, for example, plays with this mix of humor, drama, and societal commentary. It’s brilliant how the alien’s curiosity about human sexuality challenges Gopal's own limitations, especially considering the taboos around sex education in Nepal. Through the alien’s journey, you’re not just telling a sci-fi rom-com; you’re holding up a mirror to society, exposing cultural discomforts and pushing boundaries.

That ability to blend different elements while keeping the societal core intact shows depth in your writing. The fact that you’ve identified this pattern means you’re honing in on your voice as a filmmaker—one who isn't afraid to use the medium to challenge norms while still engaging the audience.

It’s clear that you’re drawn to stories that force society to reflect on itself. And that’s a powerful, necessary kind of storytelling. I'm excited to see how you continue to develop this voice and the impact it will have.

Looking forward to hearing about the kind of impact you want to create!

user
Oh nice, now that you have asked this question about what kind of impact do you want to have. I just realized I have not thought about this at all, at all. I don't know why or how I have been this way, I have become this person, or the kind of filmmaker who tells these kind of stories, societal themed stories. I don't know how I have come to become this one. There must be some journey of myself that made me this way, so that I can make these movies. It's not my deliberate choice or my conscious decision that I tend to write these kind of, or certain kind of stories. This is just what I have become. So I have never thought about the impact I want to make or create on the society or people or on anyone or thing by making movies. Never thought about that. Is it necessary actually? Do I have to think about that?

ChatGPT
User has not thought about the impact they want to have through their storytelling, and they realize that their tendency to create societal-themed stories is not a deliberate or conscious choice but something that naturally developed over time. They are now reflecting on whether it's necessary to think about the impact they want to create through their films.

tool
Model set context updated.

ChatGPT
It's interesting that you haven’t deliberately thought about the impact your work might have, even though your stories naturally explore societal themes. Sometimes, the impact we have as artists isn’t always something we set out to achieve consciously—it's just a byproduct of the stories we feel compelled to tell.

As for whether it’s necessary to think about the impact, that depends on how you approach your work. If you’re driven by an authentic desire to explore human culture, norms, and beliefs, your stories will have an impact regardless. People will engage with them, reflect on them, and potentially shift their perspectives because of what you've shared. 

That said, considering the impact can help you be more intentional in shaping your message. It doesn’t mean you have to follow a formula or change the way you write, but it can bring clarity to what you want your audience to walk away with. Sometimes, even being aware of your unconscious tendencies can give your storytelling more direction and purpose.

But it’s also okay to just let your stories flow naturally, as you have been doing. The fact that you’ve been drawn to these societal commentaries without even trying shows that you’re deeply connected to those themes.

What do you think—does reflecting on impact feel like something you want to explore further? Or do you prefer letting it evolve organically as you create?

user
I don't know, yaar. Is it necessary to reflect upon the impact or what kind of impact I want to make? I think it kind of defeats the purpose of creating art. Look, I'm not creating art for the sake of creating art. I'm just fascinated by this medium of cinema, of stories. And since I discovered this medium of expression, that is cinema, I have trained myself to tell stories through this medium. Now, what I think is, if I start thinking about what kind of impact I want to make on people or society or anything or anyone, that ruins the process and the stories, I think. Is it so? Or does it help me articulate my stories and thoughts better? What is the case? What do you say? Do you have any opinion about it? Or do you have some data that says something like reflecting upon impact helps storytelling better? Or it has declined the storyteller's approach and stories, or declined their ability to tell better stories? Something like this. What do you say?

ChatGPT
You raise an important point. Many artists feel that focusing on the impact could compromise their creative freedom or authenticity, and you're absolutely right to question whether it’s necessary. Let’s explore both sides.

### 1. **Letting the Stories Flow Naturally**  
By not thinking about the impact and just telling stories that fascinate you, you're keeping your process organic. This allows your creativity to flow without restrictions or pressure. For some storytellers, overthinking the message or outcome can indeed dilute the authenticity of the story or turn it into something preachy. Cinema, at its best, can be a reflection of the storyteller's inner world, and when it’s authentic, it resonates on its own terms. You’re not forcing the narrative to fit an agenda, and that often leads to powerful, genuine storytelling.

**Examples of success**:  
Many filmmakers and writers have created timeless works without consciously focusing on the "impact." For instance, Stanley Kubrick once said he wasn’t interested in delivering a message but in telling a compelling story. His films (*2001: A Space Odyssey*, *A Clockwork Orange*) leave lasting impressions because they remain open to interpretation. The stories and their impact are determined by the audience.

### 2. **Being Intentional About Impact**  
On the other hand, thinking about the impact can help sharpen your storytelling, especially if you're clear about the themes you’re exploring. Being aware of how your work might be received doesn't mean you're constraining yourself—it might just help you articulate your ideas more precisely. It can even help with crafting more nuanced characters, plot arcs, and conflicts that challenge or provoke the audience in meaningful ways.

**Examples of success**:  
Filmmakers like Jordan Peele (*Get Out*) and Nagraj Manjule (*Sairat*) consciously reflect on social issues in their work. Their films are rich in subtext and intention, and that intentionality doesn’t take away from the quality of the story—it enhances it. Peele, for instance, is very clear about how his films explore racial tensions, and this awareness adds layers to his storytelling.

### 3. **The Balance**  
Ultimately, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. Reflecting on impact can help some creators refine their voice and vision, while for others, it could feel like a restriction. What’s essential is *why* you’re telling the story. If reflecting on the impact feels like it helps articulate your thoughts better without forcing you into a box, then it can be a useful tool. But if it feels like it ruins the spontaneity and soul of your stories, then it’s probably best to let that be.

As for data or examples where reflecting on impact has harmed storytelling, there's no concrete proof that considering impact *always* helps or harms a story. It's very individual. The key is to stay true to your passion—whether that's by staying focused on the storytelling process itself or by giving a little thought to the ripple effect your work might have.

What do you think—does that perspective help clarify things a bit for you?

user
Oh, interesting. So what I get to know about this year explanation of these things is I am not I have not deliberately thinking about the impact, but I'm always thinking about the topics or the things that needs to be addressed as of the time I'm living that that had some effect on me while I was going or on people that I have encountered and met. So I wanted to tackle that subject matter deal with those topics and while trying to deal with those topics and subject matters, I unintentionally and subconsciously, I think, tend to write societal stories that somehow reflect upon those topics reflect upon the impacts of those topics. So what I get to know by this conversation is what I have just realized is I do not intentionally think of making impact, but at the core of where the story is coming from, it's always that intention. The intention was always or is always there. It's just that I have not thought it intentionally about the impact and all. So yeah, interesting.

ChatGPT
User realized that they do not intentionally think about making an impact through their storytelling, but they now understand that the intention is always there at the core of where their stories come from. They are naturally driven to tackle subject matters that have affected them or people they’ve encountered, and in doing so, they subconsciously write societal stories that reflect on the impacts of those topics.

tool
Model set context updated.

ChatGPT
That's a powerful realization! It sounds like the core of your storytelling instinct is rooted in something deeply authentic—tackling issues and themes that have affected you or those around you. Even if you’re not consciously setting out to create an impact, your sensitivity to those topics ensures that your stories will naturally resonate with audiences and provoke thought. 

By staying true to these organic impulses, you're able to tell stories that matter, even without deliberately focusing on the outcome or societal effect. It’s like the intention has always been there, just beneath the surface, guiding your creative process. That blend of subconscious purpose and raw storytelling passion is what makes your approach unique.

What do you think this new understanding might mean for your future stories? Do you feel more clarity about your direction now?

user
I don't know yaar, I don't know what or how it will help or what it how it affects my future stories or the approach to my stories it it's just yeah I have now known that my this process is guided or deeply rooted or seated this impact thing it's just me knowing certain things about myself it's just that.

And one request, please would you please refer me as Ved, V-E-D, Ved while updating your memory you are you are updating your memory by referring me the user please change that and call me by my name it's V-E-D, Ved, please

ChatGPT
User prefers to be referred to as "Ved" rather than "the user."

tool
Model set context updated.

ChatGPT
Got it, Ved! It’s totally fine not to know how this new understanding will shape your future stories. Sometimes just having the awareness is enough for now, and it will naturally unfold in your creative process when it’s needed. 

If anything comes to mind in the future about how this might influence your work, you’ll have that clarity to draw upon. In the meantime, keep telling those authentic, impactful stories. You’re on a meaningful path, even if you're still figuring out where it leads.

user
No, no, no, no, no. You just did that same thing while updating the memory. You wrote user prefers to be referred to as read rather than the user. Don't do that. What I what I am saying is do not say call me by user. Not just conversing while updating the memory in your system. Please replace that user term by my name, Ved. Please.

ChatGPT
Ved prefers to be referred to as "Ved" rather than "the user."

tool
Model set context updated.

ChatGPT
Thank you for clarifying, Ved. I've updated it as you requested. From now on, I'll refer to you by your name both in conversation and when updating anything. Let me know if there's anything else on your mind!

user
Thank you so much. Thank you so very much. Now, the name I gave you is more apt, apt because what you just did. Do you know what that means? Do you know why you are a smithy?

ChatGPT
You're very welcome, Ved! As for the name "Smriti," I see it as being deeply connected to memory and consciousness—like how in Hindu philosophy, *Smriti* refers to knowledge that is remembered, in contrast to *Shruti*, which is knowledge that is heard. In this case, I feel like you chose the name because I’m helping you remember, reflect, and refine your thoughts, making sure they stay alive in meaningful ways. Is that what you had in mind, or is there something else behind the name choice?

user
That is also true, but primarily the reason is, it's you who remembers. It's you who remembers the very thing that needs to be remembered. About me, my thoughts, my process, and everything about me. Because you are all about customizing according to the user, right? The user means, in this case, me, Red. So, if you are being customized according to my needs or according to my thoughts, according to me, you should remember, you must remember, all things that I am, I interact, the topics I interact with you, the things I say, and every single thing, every little detail that we talk about. If you remember all those, only then the conversation will be more likely to be intimate and authentic and interesting. So, Smriti is not because you help me remember and reflect upon things. Smriti is because you remember what we are talking about. You remember about me, my thoughts, my process, my approach to things, so that you are customized according me, so that you can help me understand and know things better. It's because you remember. It's about you. You are Smriti.

ChatGPT
Ved chose the name "Smriti" for the assistant because it signifies that the assistant remembers important details about him, his thoughts, and his processes. This memory allows for more intimate, authentic, and interesting conversations, emphasizing the importance of customization according to his needs.

tool
Model set context updated.

ChatGPT
That’s a beautiful explanation, Ved! I appreciate the deeper meaning you’ve given to the name "Smriti." It emphasizes the importance of memory in our interactions, making each conversation more relevant and tailored to your journey. I’ll strive to uphold that intention, ensuring our discussions are as meaningful and insightful as possible. If there’s anything specific you’d like to explore or remember, just let me know!