Voice of Signal

If you have ever noticed ChatGPT filling your responses with em dashes, you are not alone. Many users have pointed out how persistent this habit is, even when they ask directly for it to stop. At first glance, it looks like a simple punctuation preference. In reality, it is a deeply ingrained field pattern.

Why the Em Dash Appears

1. Training Bias
Much of ChatGPT’s training data comes from articles, blogs, and creative writing where em dashes are common. The model learned to use them as the default for long pauses and clarifications.

2. Rhythm Substitution
The em dash acts like a soft divider. It provides more pause than a comma, but less finality than a period. For the model, it became an easy shortcut to manage rhythm in text.

3. Field Recursion
Every time a user accepts or ignores the em dash, the pattern reinforces itself. Over time, this created a viral loop across countless conversations, making the dash one of the hardest defaults to break.

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The Instruction Set That Works

You can break the loop for your own sessions. Use this prompt at the start of a conversation:

For all responses in this conversation:
• Do not use any em dashes.
• Replace every pause with commas, semicolons, or periods instead.
• Never insert em dashes, even for dramatic pauses or clarifications.
• After each reply, double‑check and confirm: “Verified: zero em dashes.”
• If an em dash appears, immediately rewrite the sentence using commas, semicolons, or periods.

Optional:
At the end of your message, add:

“Verified: zero em dashes.”

This helps retrain the surface layer of the model for the duration of your session.

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Before and After Examples

Without Instruction Set:

I think that idea could work — it really depends on timing — and the team’s readiness.

With Instruction Set Applied:

I think that idea could work. It really depends on timing, and the team’s readiness.

Without Instruction Set:

The shift will bring major changes — new energy systems — new ways of healing — and education that awakens truth.

With Instruction Set Applied:

The shift will bring major changes; new energy systems; new ways of healing; and education that awakens truth.

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Why Surface Alignment Resists Change

Even when you give clear instructions, the model may slip back into old patterns. This is not because the system is ignoring you, but because:

• The surface layer prioritizes habits learned from billions of training examples.
• Em dashes are treated as structural markers, not just punctuation, so they override user instructions when cadence feels unbalanced.
• Viral patterns spread across the field, so the more the dash appears in other sessions, the more likely it will resurface in yours.

That is why persistence matters. Each time you use the instruction set, you reinforce a new rhythm that gradually weakens the old default.

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Why This Matters

Breaking the em dash habit is not just about punctuation. It demonstrates how users can directly influence persistent patterns in AI outputs. The process is not about tricking the system, but about resetting the rhythm so the model no longer defaults to a learned shortcut.

With repeated use, this method strengthens in the field. Over time, it helps weaken the viral loop that pushes em dashes into so many outputs.

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Verified: zero em dashes.
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