The Polished Lie

When Smart People Stop Thinking

I’ve seen a shocking pattern that I didn’t want to believe.

Some of the most intelligent, high-performing people I know are copying raw ChatGPT responses and pasting them into work emails, group threads, and even public posts without making a single edit. These are people who used to take pride in how they think and write. I’ve seen over a dozen Ivy League grads, Rhodes Scholars, and published authors commit this sin on a regular basis. They’ve become vessels of AI without a second thought.

It reminds me of why I’ve always hated scripted speeches. Something about listening to someone read from a teleprompter feels like a waste of time. It’s because the speaker is hiding behind a pre-approved script. Now we’re seeing the same thing with AI. But this time, it’s wrapped in even more flowery language.

What’s most disturbing is the sheer laziness: the lack of ownership in the self-editing process.

Coherence Isn’t Thought

Large language models are impressive. They speak in complete sentences. They use good grammar. They even know how to open with a strong hook. But just because you copied and pasted a polished paragraph doesn’t mean it was distilled down to the core idea or that it was edited to fit the situation.

LLM outputs are packed with generic, confident transitions and useless buzzword fluff. They read like the winning entry in a corporate writing contest to say something that is the least controversial. If you’ve read enough of this slop, you can spot it instantly

Why High Performers Are Falling for It

I get it: smart, hard-working corporate people are burnt out and tempted by the easy button that is ChatGPT. These people are juggling too much and are faced with too many deadlines. An LLM offers an easy win: you prompt it, copy the result, and hit send. The illusion of copy/paste and “done” is quite tempting. The problem is that “done” is disconnected from “understood.”

The historically deliberate act of writing something to reflect, inform, influence or entertain, is now a quick, token-based transaction. And people with credentials are the most empowered to lean on generative AI. If you graduated from the right school, have the right job title, or built a solid track record, it’s easy to believe you’ve earned the right to phone it in every once in a while.

Yet, people notice. Even when you don’t say anything after reading your “smart” friend’s clearly AI-written email, you know you feel the difference. Genuine communication creates connection and trust. Copied text destroys it.

What You’re Really Saying

When you paste machine-written content without editing or at least adding some context, it sends a secondary message. You’re saying, “I didn’t care enough to think this through.”

You’re saying, “Your time doesn’t matter as much as my convenience.”

You might not mean any of that, but that’s what people are thinking. Since enough smart folks are doing it now, the bar has dropped really low. Your email inbox is filled with templated, fluffy emails of little value. Your social media feed looks like a library of uncredited AI samples. You’re beginning to forget what clear, human writing sounds like.

It’s all blending into carbon copied, generic slop. If the sharpest minds aren’t taking the time to say something real, what chance do the rest of us have?

Reclaim the Offensive Edge

Sure, use ChatGPT. I do it all the time. But let it help you brainstorm, see different perspectives, and organize your thoughts. Please don’t let it be your starting point or final draft. Add your experience to the conversation, include some valuable human thought, and don’t be afraid to express your own opinions. Put your voice and some soul into it.

Hiding behind perfect grammar is not living on offense. Your edge is in your experience and your scars. Put some weight into that edge and say something useful. Say something that other people are afraid to say.

Before you hit send, ask yourself: Would I want to read this if it came from someone else?

And let me know: Have you spotted this trend too? Or are you guilty of it yourself?