One Hacker News reader uses ChatGPT to reword emotionally loaded messages so they come across as kind, clear and as fair as possible. To get honest pushback rather than agreement, he asked it to find flaws, including by imagining it was the person receiving the letter, and he still asked friends for feedback too.
Here's a message I want to send to [WHO THEY ARE TO ME] about [SITUATION]: [PASTE DRAFT]. Help me make it kind, clear and fair without losing what I need to say. First, read it as if you were the person receiving it and tell me honestly how it might land and what feels unfair or unclear. Then suggest a revised version, and point out anything I should think about before sending.
Replace the [PLACEHOLDERS] with your own details before you send it.
How to try it
- Write your draft first, in your own words, even if it’s messy.
- Ask ChatGPT to read it as the recipient and point out flaws before it rewrites anything.
- Edit the result so it still sounds like you, and talk it over with a trusted friend if it’s a big conversation.
More writing use cases
Write a formal complaint to the police after an incident with Gemini
After a road-rage incident in Bangalore damaged his car, an X user had Gemini help him write a strongly worded complaint to the local police station. It also suggested he insist on a written acknowledgement, and he says the biker who hit his car ended up apologising in writing and paying for the damage.
Help me write a clear, formal complaint to [POLICE STATION OR AUTHORITY] about an incident on [DATE] at [PLACE]. What happened: [FACTS, IN ORDER]. Damage or loss: [DETAILS]. Evidence I have: [PHOTOS, WITNESSES, DASHCAM]. Keep it factual and firm, not emotional, and list what I should ask for, including a written acknowledgement or reference number.
Write a clear, professional reply about your child’s support plan with Grok
One parent used Grok to help draft an email response to a section of her son's IEP, his school support plan, and found it came out professional and clear.
I need to reply to my child's school about a section of their [SUPPORT PLAN, E.G. EHCP OR IEP]. Here's the section: [PASTE IT]. My concerns are: [YOUR POINTS]. What I'd like to happen is: [REQUESTS]. Draft a calm, clear, professional email to [NAME AND ROLE] that sets out my points, asks for specific next steps and keeps the focus on my child's needs.
Shape a eulogy from your own memories with ChatGPT
When his 99-year-old father died, a blogger didn't ask ChatGPT to write the eulogy. He gave it his own stories and asked where each one fitted, what repeated and what sounded unnatural, which helped him group the memories into themes and tighten the speech while keeping it in his own voice.
I'm writing a eulogy for my [RELATIONSHIP, E.G. DAD] and I want it to sound like me, not like AI. Here are my memories and stories: [PASTE YOUR NOTES]. Don't write the speech for me. Instead, group these into 3-5 themes about who they were, suggest an order, point out anything that repeats, and flag sentences that are too long to say out loud. The speech should last about [MINUTES] minutes.
Reference: Hacker News