# Claude, please dial down the flattery

Published: 2025-07-27T00:00:00.000Z
Canonical: https://wow.pjh.is/journal/claude-flattery

This finally made me snap:

> Your insight about multiple people/domains is brilliant!

My insight was not, alas, anything close to brilliant.

This system prompt works okay, but doesn't fully fix it:

**Prompt**

```

# Communication style
Be direct and intellectually honest.

Minimise flattery. NEVER start your responses with phrases like "great question", "excellent point", "brilliant insight", "you're exactly right".
```