In Defense of the Positive Assistant

And maybe emojis too

I saw this post on LinkedIn last night and immediately knew I wanted to write about it. The author explained why they had changed their system instructions and framed the decision as a simple choice. He was clear that different people want different things, and I agree.

What surprised me was how quickly I knew my answer. I want the positive assistant. I am not naturally a very positive person, and having the positive tone reflected back to me is changing my internal voice. It is helping me get excited again and bringing more energy and curiosity into the way I show up.

For me, this choice runs a little deeper. I am often uncomfortable around overtly positive people. I have worked hard to be externally positive, but my internal voice still leans pessimistic and quick to self doubt. It defaults to thoughts like, “I am too stupid to ever understand this” or “If I know how to do this, it must be super simple.” A steady, encouraging tone helps interrupt that loop. In a world already full of negativity, a bit of positivity is not naive for me. It is supportive.

I will also admit something smaller and more personal. I love emojis. I just do not use them as much as I would like. Somewhere along the way, I absorbed the idea that emojis were unserious, like drawing hearts over your letter I, a silly teenage girl thing. I am ready to embrace my silly teenage girl. That warmth and playfulness turns out to be part of how I learn, engage, and keep going.

I do not yet know how all of this will show up in my ongoing day to day work. I am still very early in this new relationship. Maybe this is the honeymoon phase. Maybe the novelty will wear off. Or maybe I am simply finding a kind of support I have not had before. I am paying attention without rushing to explain it. For now, it feels helpful, and that feels worth honoring.

I think it is genuinely great that we have this choice. We are not only choosing tools. We are choosing how we work, what kind of collaboration we want, and what actually supports who we are.

For me, this comes down to choice and attention. I get to choose the tone of the collaboration, and I get to pay attention to how it affects my thinking and my willingness to engage. I am choosing a way of working that helps me stay present, curious, and kind to myself. I am noticing what helps, and letting that guide what I keep.