Principlev1PR-1163
Test whether a value is truly terminal by imagining…
Test whether a value is truly terminal by imagining its primary instrumental path disappeared—if you would find alternative paths to the same end, the value you named is instrumental; if the loss feels like loss of meaning itself, you've confused the instrument with the destination.
Why This Is a Principle
Derives from Mental Models Are Singular by Default (people construct single mental models without generating alternatives) and Structural Correspondence in Mental Models (mental models have structural correspondence). The principle prescribes a counterfactual thought experiment to test value structure, revealing whether the named value is end or means.