Use ChatGPT to conduct a character study on yourself. – Bogomil Shopov

The one major item I learned from the acting classes is that you need to immerse yourself in the character – to understand their motivation, feelings, environment, and situation in life. Then, when you do a scripted monologue, you can be this person as much as you can.

Here is an example of me doing a monologue after I spend a good time going deep into the character:

The role building: My character name is “Fat Bogo.”. His legal business is an impresario of metal bands. He owns a small brothel in Holesovice, but his true passion is to be a loan shark. One day, a small man asks him for a loan, and he is nowhere to be found when the loan is due. Fat Bogo sends the boys, Vicenco and Luca, to see him, but instead, they return with a girl —Marianna. Now the “hero” is back with the money…

Wait, hold on, what’s the relation to ChatGPT?

Imagine that you are the character and ask the question that will help you uncover some caveat of your life based on what the ML “knows” about you. It’s a fascinating exercise. I’ll do one now for myself.

Bogo> Who is Bogomil Shopov

ChatGPT> Bogomil Shopov—often known as “Bogo”—is a multifaceted professional based in Prague, Czechia, with over two decades of experience in technology and a deep commitment to human-centered innovation. Born and raised in Bulgaria, he identifies as a human, artist, and hacker, blending technical expertise with a passion for creativity and ethical design.Professionally, Shopov focuses on digital trust, privacy, cybersecurity, and ethical technology. He has held roles in technical program management, product operations, and complex release management, often within cloud and XaaS environments. His approach emphasizes secure software development, threat modeling, and aligning technology with human values.

As much as I like what I read, there is nothing new in there for me. Let’s start with the deep dive.

Bogo> I am doing a character study on him and would like to understand some of his flaws. What are they?

ChatGPT> Based on how Bogomil Shopov presents himself and the cultural narratives around his “rebel with a cause” persona, two qualities that might be critiqued are:

Uncompromising Rebelliousness: Bogomil frequently embraces a countercultural stance—mixing heavy metal passion with advocacy for free and open-source software and digital rights. While this rebellious spirit is a driving force in challenging established norms and inspiring change, it may also be interpreted as a tendency toward inflexibility. In certain contexts, an unyielding commitment to one’s ideals can lead to difficulties in finding common ground with those who operate under more conventional or moderate approaches. In a team or collaborative setting, this intensity might make it harder to adapt to compromise or to soften one’s stance when diplomacy is required.

Blunt or Abrasive Communication Style: Another aspect that comes through in his public persona is a style of communication that is candid, direct, and even provocative. This forthright approach can energize audiences and cut through bureaucratic noise, but it also runs the risk of alienating individuals who favor a more measured or tactful discourse. When opinions are expressed with a heavy dose of bluntness (or even sarcasm), it can sometimes come off as abrasive—potentially discouraging dialogue from those who might be less comfortable with confrontational styles. In a nuanced character study, such directness might be seen as both a strength and a liability, depending on the context and the interpersonal dynamics at play.

Now, we are hitting some good material here. Let’s go deeper and ask another question:

Bogo > Can you show me some proofs for: Blunt or Abrasive Communication Style

ChatGPT>

1. Critique of Mozilla’s Practices: In a blog post titled “Why Mozilla Sucks – Part 2,” Shopov openly criticized Mozilla’s organizational shortcomings. He highlighted issues such as

Unrealistic roadmaps and missed deadlines.
Poor communication with the press, leading to misinformation.
Weak engagement of local communities, emphasizing that mere translation efforts aren’t sufficient for meaningful involvement.

This forthright critique underscores his willingness to address perceived flaws directly, even within organizations he supports.

2. Presentation Title: “Waste? How to Remove (or Recycle) the B.S. from Your Software Delivery System”

In this talk, Shopov uses a provocative title to address inefficiencies in software development processes. By playing on his initials “B.S.,” he emphasizes the need to identify and eliminate unnecessary complexities and redundancies in software delivery.

3. Advocacy for Digital Rights

Shopov’s activism is marked by bold actions, such as purchasing a dataset containing 1.1 million Facebook user emails to highlight data privacy concerns. This move drew significant attention and prompted a response from Facebook’s Platform Policy Team, demonstrating his direct approach to advocacy.

These instances reflect Shopov’s straightforward and unfiltered communication style, which he employs to challenge norms and advocate for transparency and efficiency.

What have I learned from this simple exercise?

Wait, before I go into the part where I conclude, I need to mention that you can go even deeper into exploring all the flaws you “see” for yourself. If you ask different questions, you might discover some new things about yourself and even how to “fix” them if you feel like it.

What I have learned:

I honestly didn’t have an idea that I might have a “Abrasive Communication Style”. If I reflect on my past communications, this might be true. There is something to think about here.
The models help you see yourself from another perspective and get some helpful advice if you want to consider it.
Ask clarifying questions for proofs.
Consider this one part of the truth. Know that you are a more complex person.

Archetype

At the end of the exercise, tell ChatGPT to create an archetype for you. Imagine being played by an actor or being a character in a computer game. The result might be interesting.

Character Archetype: The Ethicist Hacker

Name: Bozhan “Bogo” Stoyanov

Class/Role: Techno-Druid / Digital Ethicist

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Faction: The Order of the Open Web

🧬 Backstory

Bozhan was raised in the post-collapse cities of the Neo-Balkan Federation, where government surveillance was rampant and megacorporations controlled knowledge. As a teenager, he cracked his school’s firewall not to cheat—but to replace standardized tests with philosophical essays.

He wandered across underground tech communes, learning open-source lore, privacy spells, and how to charm machines with music. Rumors say he once rebooted a dying AI by singing it a metal ballad about the nature of freedom.

Eventually, he joined The Order of the Open Web, a decentralized alliance of rogue engineers, artists, and ideologues who fight for digital sovereignty and emotional truth in a synthetic world.

⚙️ Core Traits

Idealist with Bite: Bogo believes in the freedom of the individual and the ethical use of technology—but isn’t afraid to disrupt, dismantle, or burn down what he sees as oppressive systems.
Hybrid Thinker: Blends ancient philosophy, emotional intelligence, and bleeding-edge code.
Heavy Metal Coder: Uses rhythm and sound in his code—his IDE literally has a soundboard.

🧠 Flaws

Communication Mismatch: His poetic, metaphor-rich language confuses more pragmatic allies.
Refuses Compromise: Will walk away from powerful allies if they violate his moral compass.
Carries Burdens Alone: Internalizes failure and burns out rather than asking for help.
Seeks Meaning in Everything: Sometimes paralyzed by trying to find “purpose” in even small technical choices.