Figure out what a confusing text or message really means
Read the possible meanings of an ambiguous message, check your assumptions, and choose a calm reply.
The prompt
Help me understand a message I received and decide how to reply.
The message (exactly as written): [PASTE]
Who sent it and our relationship: [e.g. "friend of 10 years", "someone I've been dating a month", "my brother"]
Context: [WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE, previous messages if relevant]
How they usually text: [e.g. "always short", "lots of emojis normally", "slow to reply"]
How it made me feel and what I'm worried it means: [YOUR READ]
Give me:
1. Possible readings: 3-4 realistic interpretations, from most to least likely given what I've told you, and the clues for each. Point out where I might be reading tone into text that isn't there.
2. What I don't know: facts that would change the meaning.
3. Reply options: three replies matched to different approaches: (a) light and neutral, (b) a gentle clarifying question, (c) addressing it directly. Keep each short.
4. Whether to wait, call, or talk in person instead of replying by text.
5. What to avoid: e.g. over-analyzing in a long message or sending several texts in a row.
Don't claim certainty about what they meant; be clear these are possibilities.
Highlighted [brackets] are blanks to replace with your own details.
Fill in the blanks and use this promptMore Personal Life & Wellbeing prompts
What to fill in
- PASTE
- WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE, previous messages if relevant
- YOUR READ
How this prompt is built
This prompt follows the Few-Shot structure (Few-shot prompting). A few-shot prompt includes one or more worked examples of the input and the output you want, so the model can copy the pattern instead of guessing it.
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