Principlev1PR-1168
Test stated values through escalating hypothetical…
Test stated values through escalating hypothetical trade-offs that increase the cost until the answer becomes genuinely uncertain, because only trade-offs that produce discomfort reveal operative hierarchy.
Why This Is a Principle
Derives from Actual behavior reveals operative values more reliably… (behavior reveals operative values) and Systematic Overconfidence Taxonomy (humans exhibit systematic overconfidence). The principle prescribes using escalating hypotheticals as a method to overcome both stated-vs-operative gaps and overconfidence about which values would win under pressure.