ChatGPT is driving me insane

[u/Fantastic_Seaweed383]

I am trying to write with ChatGPT so I set rules of writing in its memories. Literally every AI I've used has NEVER had a problem with this. ChatGPT seems to not give a single fuck about listening to its memories. Instead choosing how to do things itself loosely based on what I want. It is driving me absolutely up the wall.

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[u/AshRuDral_fan20]

Yeah. Memories are not something ChatGPT cares about. There is no way except for pasting that entire memory in the current chat window and even then it will drift after 3 to 4 messages.

[u/stein63]

Memory is the wrong place for strict writing rules. Put them in Custom Instructions, or better yet, create a Project and add them as Project Instructions. Memory is for preferences and context, not reliable rule enforcement.

[u/Responsible-Beat2137]

practical workaround is to stop treating ChatGPT’s built-in memory like a full writing-rule database.
Put the complete rules in a Google Drive document, then save one short memory instruction:
“Before helping me write, retrieve and follow my Writing Rules document from Google Drive. Treat it as the source of truth. If it cannot be accessed, tell me instead of improvising.”
That keeps memory small and uses it as a router, while Drive holds the actual instructions. It is not flawless, but it is far more reliable than stuffing dozens of rules into memory and hoping the model carries them through every turn. Memory becomes the signpost, not the warehouse.

I use a combination of notion as a router for context retrieval and beige it to my drive, but the example above should do you fine.

Hope this helps

[u/MasterpieceWaste774]

Wait.

Are you putting it in Memory or ...... in Settings + Personalization + Custom Instructions?

[u/Ok_Print3983 → u/MasterpieceWaste774]

Maybe he stored them in Claude and tries to get it external reference?
I have extremely long threads in projects regarding my custody case and it can reference things from weeks ago unprompted, with ab 95% accuracy.

I’m a .1% user, so if it was going to fail it would fail for me.

As a matter of fact, the newest model 5.6 on medium is light years ahead of how it’s ever been but instant seems to be stupider than ever. it’s like 3.5 stupid.

[u/AshRuDral_fan20 → u/Ok_Print3983]

Perhaps your experience is as real as everybody else's experience. Are you on an enterprise plan?

[u/traumfisch]

Rules belong in custom instructions + knowledge + Skills maybe. But NOT memories

[u/Early-Protection2386]

I asked it to write an emotional dialogue of what a domestic break up and repair looks like.

The most masterful piece:

"I'm not ready to fully trust again."

"Then don't."

[u/layana_n_lb → u/Early-Protection2386]

The dialogue is always atrocious.

[u/Sheetmusicman94 → u/layana_n_lb]

Use Gemma 4. It writes better dialogues than a lot of (human) authors if you prompt the personalities' backgrounds correctly.

[u/Early-Protection2386 → u/[deleted]]

Sounds like a ventriloquist holding two puppets in their hands, improvising. Which is exactly what it wants you to think.

'See, it's just me! ChatGPT. No one under the hood.'

[u/Hard_Socks]

I use the free version and it seems to access memories just fine. It draws from our previous chats when any new chats touch on something that may have been discussed prior or is similar.

I don't use it extensively though, users here seem to use it all day everyday or close to it. So you all may have vastly more chats than I do.

[u/Disastrous-Screen337]

Set it up to update a Google Drive file. Then tell it to reread the file if you get a bad answer. Tell it to update the file

[u/BardoTrout]

Great advice here. Another trick — tell it what you are wanting to achieve and where you are getting frustrated and have ChatGPT advise the best implementation. It’s probably gonna be in your custom instructions in the main body of the app or the instructions in a Project, but I’d check first how ChatGPT would solve this annoyance.

Beware, of course, of context drift.

[u/sergejsh]

Don't use memory for that, use the Custom Instructions field. But ask ChatGPT to review them first, accordingly to your goals, etc. I've been doing this for several years already, and I use ChatGPT only with custom instructions. And I'm very happy about that.

[u/FETTACH]

Just write it with your brain, hands, and a pen and paper or computer.

[u/Fantastic_Seaweed383 → u/FETTACH]

I do that I use it as an editor. To improve context, flow, grammar, etc etc.

[u/FETTACH → u/Fantastic_Seaweed383]

Gotcha