Concepts
The irreducible epistemic atoms underlying the curriculum. 4,828 atoms across 8 types
Defuse identity from belief
Before attempting to update a deeply-held schema, explicitly restate it as 'I hold the belief that [X]. This belief is a model I use. It is not who I am.' to create cognitive distance between identity and the belief.
After updating a belief, find one decision the new model…
After updating a belief, identify one downstream decision where the revised model produces a different recommendation than the old one to ensure the update becomes operational rather than merely verbal.
Document what the old belief was protecting — the lost…
For each evolved schema, document not just old and new versions but also what the old belief was protecting or enabling, because identifying the lost function reveals emotional costs of revision and increases honesty about unrevised beliefs.
Require 3 recent decision examples for each schema — fewer…
In your schema inventory, require behavioral proof by identifying three decisions from the last month that each schema governed—if you cannot find three, reclassify the schema as aspirational rather than operational.
When your self-explanation diverges substantially…
When your explanation of your own behavior differs from an external observer's explanation by more than surface framing, treat the divergence as high-confidence evidence of a metacognitive blind spot requiring investigation.
Write all three components of default agents — even…
When reverse-engineering a default agent, write down all three components (trigger, condition, action) even if the condition is 'always' or appears absent, because making the implicit condition explicit reveals where the default fires indiscriminately.
Classify every behavior as designed or default…
Classify each observed behavior as designed (you can identify the installation decision) or default (no identifiable decision point) during audits, treating the classification question itself as a detection mechanism for unexamined automation.
Internal-state triggers are high-risk — replace…
When a trigger depends on detecting an internal state, classify it as high-risk and either replace it with an external observable event or invest in deliberate interoceptive calibration before trusting it operationally.
Train body-scanning to detect somatic markers early…
Train interoceptive awareness through systematic body-scanning practices to detect somatic markers early enough to intervene before automatic responses execute.
The faster you dismiss feedback, the more likely it hits…
When feedback triggers immediate counter-argument before you finish listening, treat the speed of that dismissal as diagnostic evidence that the feedback addresses an important blind spot rather than as evidence the feedback is invalid.
If you check a box in under 5 seconds without pausing…
For any pre-flight check item you can complete in under 5 seconds without pausing, treat that as evidence of ritual execution not genuine verification—pause and locate observable evidence before marking complete.
When an objection dissolves from social pressure…
When you notice an objection dissolving before you voice it—not because someone addressed it, but because the social cost seems too high—recognize this as the compliance instinct activating and deliberately externalize the concern in writing before deciding whether to voice it.
Log every boundary test
After each boundary test, log what happened (who tested, how, what you did, how it felt) in an external system to build a dataset revealing patterns invisible from inside—which relationships produce most testing, which test types are hardest for you to withstand, whether your consistency is actually consistent.
Instant yes = threat response, not deliberation…
When commitments are accepted within seconds of being asked, classify them as threat-response driven rather than deliberative, and subject them to immediate reassessment.
When pressure changes your decision, document both…
When pressure causes your actual decision to differ from what you would decide without pressure, document both the decision and the pressure type (social, authority, time, emotional, financial) to build a personal pressure vulnerability map.
Write your position before group discussion, compare…
Before group discussions where conformity pressure is likely, write down your position privately in one sentence before the discussion begins, then compare what you wrote with what you actually said afterward to detect whether social pressure eroded your position.
Map reference groups by domain — different groups pressure…
Map your reference groups by domain (lifestyle, career, milestones, self-evaluation) to identify which groups exert pressure in which areas, creating a conformity map that makes invisible influences visible.