Definitionv1
Zombie commitment: a commitment that has been neither
Zombie commitment: a commitment that has been neither completed nor officially released, functioning as a hybrid energy leak that combines cognitive cost of open loops, emotional cost of broken agreements, and identity cost of cognitive dissonance, persisting as a drain until either resurrection or formal release
Why This Is a Definition
This definition precisely establishes the semantic boundary of 'zombie commitment' by identifying its genus (uncompleted/undeclared commitment) and differentia (hybrid energy leak, multiple cost types, persistent drain, requires either resurrection or formal release). It distinguishes this from regular commitments or open loops by specifying the unique combination of costs and the specific resolution mechanism.