This AI decision making prompt runs in 3 steps in the same chat. Step 1 maps the decision with no advice, Step 2 argues against the option you’re leaning toward & Step 3 makes the call, with the one condition that would change it.

Use it when you already have a favorite & you suspect you picked it first and found the reasons after.

Why AI agrees with the option you already picked

Two complaints come up on r/ChatGPTPromptGenius about using AI for a decision. Tell it what you’re leaning toward & it agrees with you. Ask for pros and cons instead & you get 2 even lists, when one factor clearly matters more than the rest.

Agreeing too much is also one of the top complaints in this newsletter’s reader survey.

This prompt changes the order. The model argues first, in its own turn, & only recommends after it has made the case against you. If the advice came from someone else, a contractor or a video, the second opinion prompt is the better fit.

Make a hard decision without your bias running it

Most hard decisions are already made before you finish thinking them through. You lean one way, then you look for reasons to back up the side you already picked. That’s confirmation bias. This chain breaks that loop by making the model argue with you before it helps you decide.

Step 1, Decision Mapper: You are a neutral decision strategist. I have a hard decision. Do not give me a recommendation yet.
My decision: [describe what you're deciding].
What I'm leaning toward: [be honest].
Why I think I'm leaning that way: [your reasoning].
Do the following:
No advice yet. Just clarity.

Step 2, Devil's Advocate: Now argue against the option I'm leaning toward, not to change my mind, to stress test it.
- The 3 strongest reasons my pick could be wrong.
- The realistic worst case if I go that route.
- What a smart person who disagrees would say.

Step 3, Decision Framer: Using everything above, help me make the final call.
- The real trade-off in one sentence.
- What this decision says about what I actually value.
- A recommendation, with the one condition under which you'd change it.

Why it works: This prompt splits the job across 3 turns. Ask one prompt to help you & argue with you at the same time & you’ll get slop. Step 2 argues against the side you favor. Step 3 forces a clear answer instead of a comfortable one. You hear the case against your choice before anyone helps you make it.

One gap: Step 1 is supposed to set that all up, but if you look at it, it says “Do the following:” & then lists nothing.

Simple fix: Replace that empty line with real instructions. This version tells the model what to produce & the brackets make it a template you reuse.

Step 1: I have a hard decision: [decision]. I'm leaning toward [option] because [reason]. Don't advise yet. List the assumptions behind my lean, the facts I'd need to check, and the part of this I'm avoiding.

Want to go deeper: After Step 3, ask one more thing: “What single fact, if I checked it right now, would most change your recommendation?” That’s the thing to go find before you commit.

Original post by u/LouiszzZ_. Link

What to do when the pros and cons come out even

Step 3 asks for the real trade-off in one sentence. One sentence only has room for the factor that matters most, so the model has to pick one instead of giving you 2 balanced lists.

If you’d rather have the model attack an idea than a choice, the stress test prompt has 2 characters argue over it, & the echo chamber prompt quotes your own words back at you. This decision prompt first ran in issue 5.