Steel-man both sides of a contradiction before resolving…
Before attempting to resolve any contradiction between beliefs, construct the strongest possible version of each side that the most informed advocate would recognize and endorse.
When This Fires
- Before resolving any contradiction between beliefs you hold
- When two sources disagree and you need to evaluate both positions
- During any deliberation where you favor one side and want to ensure fairness
- Complements Log contradictions instead of resolving them — patterns… (contradiction logging) when moving from logging to resolution
Common Failure Mode
Steel-manning your preferred side and straw-manning the other: writing a rich, nuanced version of what you believe and a thin, easily-defeated version of the opposition. The test: would the most informed, thoughtful advocate of the opposing position read your representation and say "yes, that captures my position fairly"? If not, you haven't steel-manned.
The Protocol
Before resolving a contradiction: (1) Construct Position A at its strongest — the version its best advocate would endorse. Include its best evidence, strongest arguments, and most nuanced formulation. (2) Construct Position B at its strongest — same standard. (3) Verify: would advocates of each position recognize and endorse your representation? If not, strengthen the weak representation. (4) Only after both sides pass the recognition test: attempt resolution. The resolution must defeat the strong version, not the weak one.