I want to get a list and report of the benefits of the empathy circle practice (as developed by Edwin Rutsch). However, to begin with I'd like several good prompts to ask AI in a way that gets the best AI report. Give me those prompts.
Here are several strong prompts you can use or adapt when asking an AI for a report on the benefits of Edwin Rutsch’s Empathy Circle practice. You can mix and match elements (audience, length, focus, tone) based on your needs.
High-level overview prompts
“Create a concise, well-structured report explaining the benefits of Edwin Rutsch’s Empathy Circle practice for participants, groups, and broader communities. Include sections on interpersonal skills, emotional regulation, conflict transformation, and civic or democratic culture. Aim for 1,500–2,000 words, with clear headings and bullet points for key benefits.”
“Write an accessible explainer for educated lay readers on the benefits of the Empathy Circle practice developed by Edwin Rutsch. Describe what the practice is, then detail short-term and long-term benefits for individuals, relationships, and communities. Use plain language, concrete examples, and avoid jargon.”
“Draft a research-informed overview of the benefits of Edwin Rutsch’s Empathy Circle practice. Summarize the practice briefly, then map likely benefits to existing empirical findings on active listening, empathy training, and dialogue processes. Clearly distinguish between documented evidence and plausible, yet not-yet-studied, benefits.”
Prompts tailored for funders or policy audiences
“Write a report aimed at philanthropic funders focused on polarization and civic cohesion that explains the benefits of Edwin Rutsch’s Empathy Circle practice. Include: (a) a brief description of the method, (b) a theory of change linking the practice to reduced polarization and increased democratic resilience, and (c) specific participant-level, group-level, and community-level outcomes the practice is likely to influence.”
“Produce a policy-brief-style summary (2–3 pages) of how Edwin Rutsch’s Empathy Circle practice can support depolarization, bridge-building, and civic dialogue. Highlight benefits relevant to bipartisan groups, community organizers, schools, and local governments. Use short sections, bullets, and a neutral, evidence-oriented tone.”
“Draft a one-page briefing memo for a skeptical policymaker about the benefits and limitations of Empathy Circles (as developed by Edwin Rutsch). Explain key benefits, likely mechanisms, implementation requirements, and realistic expectations, while flagging where more evidence is needed.”
Prompts for more rigorous or critical reports
“Write a critical-yet-fair analysis of the benefits claimed for Edwin Rutsch’s Empathy Circle practice. First summarize the main claimed benefits, then evaluate them in light of research on empathy, deliberative democracy, and intergroup dialogue. Identify which benefits are strongly supported, weakly supported, or speculative, and suggest priority areas for evaluation or study.”
“Develop a literature-anchored report that connects the benefits of Empathy Circles to existing research on: (a) empathy training, (b) restorative practices, and (c) structured dialogue across differences. For each benefit, briefly explain the plausible psychological or social mechanisms and cite what types of studies would be needed to test it.”
“Compose a methodological note outlining how one might empirically assess the benefits of Edwin Rutsch’s Empathy Circle practice. Include potential outcome measures (e.g., empathy scales, polarization indices, relationship quality, group cohesion), study designs, and challenges or confounds.”
Practice design and implementation–oriented prompts
“Write a practical guide for facilitators that organizes the benefits of Empathy Circles into categories (personal, relational, group, and societal). For each category, explain the benefit, describe what it looks like in practice, and suggest facilitation moves that strengthen that benefit.”
“Create a report for organizations considering adopting Empathy Circles. Explain the core structure of the practice, then outline key benefits such as improved listening, psychological safety, conflict navigation, and collaboration. Include a section on implementation considerations (time, training, scaling, and online vs in-person).”
“Generate a set of outcome statements and indicators that an organization could use to assess the benefits of Empathy Circles over 6–12 months. Organize them under headings like ‘empathy and perspective-taking,’ ‘team climate,’ ‘conflict handling,’ and ‘cross-partisan relationships.’”
Audience- and format-specific prompts
“Write a narrative-style report on the benefits of Empathy Circles for a general audience, weaving in hypothetical case examples (not real names or data) to illustrate changes in how people listen, feel heard, and handle disagreement. Emphasize psychological safety and mutual understanding.”
“Create a slide-deck outline (with titles and bullet points for each slide) explaining the benefits of Edwin Rutsch’s Empathy Circle practice to potential partners. Include sections on: What is an Empathy Circle?; Core benefits; Applications (schools, workplaces, polarization); Implementation needs; and Next steps.”
“Prepare a brief for mental health and wellness professionals that explains how Empathy Circles complement, but do not replace, therapy or counseling. Focus on benefits around peer support, emotional expression, self-empathy, and community-building, and clarify appropriate scopes and boundaries.”
Prompts asking the AI to refine and deepen
“I will paste notes and web excerpts about the benefits of Edwin Rutsch’s Empathy Circle practice. Turn them into a coherent, well-structured report for funders interested in depolarization and civic cohesion. Clean up the language, remove repetition, synthesize overlapping points, and flag where claims would benefit from stronger evidence.”
“Using the benefits list I provide, group the benefits of Empathy Circles into 4–6 thematic clusters. For each cluster, write a short section that (a) names the theme, (b) explains why it matters, and (c) describes how Empathy Circles specifically foster that outcome.”
“I will share a draft report on the benefits of Empathy Circles. Revise it to: (a) improve clarity and structure, (b) sharpen the theory of change for reducing polarization, and (c) highlight measurable outcomes. Keep my original voice as much as possible while making it more persuasive for funders.”
If you’d like, next step could be customizing 3–4 of these prompts specifically for a target audience you have in mind (e.g., a particular foundation, local government, or campus initiative).