Comparing Two Concepts
Show where the boundary is, instead of listing definitions
Compare [concept A] and [concept B]. Requirements: 1) one sentence each on what it is; 2) three key differences (choose the dimensions yourself and say why they matter); 3) one example of something that looks like A but is actually B; 4) when does this distinction not matter at all?
How to use
The 'looks like A but is actually B' example is the quickest test of whether you actually hold the boundary.
Good for
- Colleagues use two terms interchangeably (latency and response time) and the discussion has started talking past each other
- You must choose between two tools or approaches, but online definitions contradict each other and the boundary is unclear
Not for
- The two words are two names for the same thing (front-end routing and client-side routing), so forcing a comparison invents differences that do not exist
- What you actually need is a recommendation, while a comparison only gives the boundary and not the trade-off
Example
Input
Precision and recall, in the context of cancer screening.
What you get
One sentence each that makes the different denominators obvious. The three differences should sit on decision-relevant dimensions, such as which error costs more, a missed case or a false alarm, and how the two move in opposite directions as the threshold shifts. It should include an example that looks like high precision but is low recall (ten people flagged as highly suspicious while forty are missed), and say when the distinction barely matters, for instance a first-pass screen followed by a confirmatory test.
Common mistakes
- Using a comparison prompt as a decision prompt: it tells you the boundary, not which one your case needs
- Accepting the three dimensions without checking whether they change your decision, and keeping a tidy table that is useless
Try tweaking it like this
- Add 'with my case X as the axis, say whether this distinction changes my decision': the output turns from knowledge into a basis for choosing
- Replace the looks-like-A-but-is-B example with 'a case where A and B hold at the same time': a direct stress test of where the boundary collapses