A value that eliminates all options but one may be fused…

When This Fires

• When a value is making decisions "for you" by eliminating all alternatives — check for rigidity
• When a stated value doesn't constrain any decisions — check for abstraction
• During values audits when evaluating whether values are functioning as decision tools
• Complements Define values so an observer could predict your behavior… (operational definitions) and Write a disqualification test for each value — what… (disqualification tests) with the calibration diagnostic

Common Failure Mode

Confusing rigidity with commitment: "I'm so committed to health that it eliminates all non-optimal choices." Commitment should narrow the option space meaningfully while preserving flexibility. If your health value eliminates dinner with friends (because the restaurant doesn't serve your exact diet), social connection (because socializing cuts into sleep time), and career advancement (because the promotion requires travel that disrupts your routine), the value has fused with rigid rules that serve the value's letter while undermining your overall flourishing.

The Protocol

(1) For each core value, list recent decisions it influenced. How many options did it eliminate? (2) Over-restriction test: did the value leave only one acceptable option? If yes → check: is the value fused with a rigid rule? Can the value be honored through multiple different behaviors? If the value permits only one specific behavior → it's a rule masquerading as a value. Loosen the implementation while preserving the value's intent. (3) Under-restriction test: did the value eliminate zero options? If yes → the value is too abstract to guide decisions (Define values so an observer could predict your behavior…). Make it operationally specific enough to discriminate between compatible and incompatible options. (4) Healthy calibration: the value eliminates some options (genuine violations) while permitting multiple others (different ways of honoring it).