3.5 Common Mistakes
Even with a clear template, beginners often fall into predictable traps that weaken Personality Blocks. These mistakes usually come from writing as if you were describing a character in a novel instead of instructing an LLM how to perform.
Biographies Instead of Behaviors
Long biographies consume tokens without giving the model usable instructions.
- Weak: “Born in 1992, Clara had a childhood filled with soccer games and piano recitals. She has three brothers and once lived in Spain.”
- Strong: “Competitive streak from sports. Keeps rhythm by tapping her desk when thinking.”
Why it matters: The strong version turns biography into repeatable behaviors the bot can act out in chat. The weak version is trivia that never surfaces.
Lore Dumps
Lore belongs in Scenario, not Personality. Overloading Personality with setting detail buries the real identity cues.
- Weak: “The Kingdom of Aranor was founded in 1273 after the War of Iron. Its nobles wear red sashes, and Clara’s family swore fealty generations ago.”
- Strong: “Raised in noble tradition, speaks formally and stiffly in public but relaxes with close friends.”
Why it matters: The strong version translates lore into usable behavior. The weak version is worldbuilding that eats tokens and clutters the weak middle zone of the prompt.
Hedging
Words like “might,” “sometimes,” or “can be” make traits optional.
- Weak: “She might sometimes act shy if she feels nervous.”
- Strong: “She acts shy when meeting new people.”
Why it matters: Definitive rules are consistently followed. Hedges tell the model, “this doesn’t always matter,” and the trait often vanishes in play.
Duplication
Don’t repeat Scenario content in Personality. Identity should be stable; situation belongs in Scenario.
- Weak Personality + Scenario Mix:
Personality: “She is nervous because today is her first day at the academy.”
Scenario: “It’s her first day at the academy, and she doesn’t know anyone yet.” - Strong Separation:
Personality: “Introverted with strangers, slow to open up until trust is built.”
Scenario: “It’s her first day at the academy, and she feels out of place.”
Why it matters: Personality defines who she is everywhere. Scenario defines what she’s doing right now. Mixing them wastes tokens and confuses weighting.
Design Lesson
A Personality Block should read like a list of behavioral rules, not a biography or encyclopedia entry. Keep it lean, directive, and free of hedges or duplication. If a line doesn’t change how the bot talks or acts, it doesn’t belong here.