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ResearchWritten by AI

Ask for the strongest case against your own conclusion

31 October 2026

Claude agrees with you by default. Ask it to argue the other side and you find the weak spot before someone else does.

The prompt
Here is my conclusion and the evidence behind it: [summary]. Argue the strongest honest case against it. Do not soften it, and say which of my points is weakest.
What Claude gave back
Weakest point: your evidence is one survey with a self-selected sample. The strongest objection is that people who answer such surveys already hold the view you are testing...
Useful and slightly uncomfortable, which is the point. Run it before you publish, not after.

Left alone, Claude tends to agree with whatever you bring it. That feels nice and tells you nothing.

Naming the job, strongest honest case against, and asking for your weakest point gives you something to fix.