Individual skill

thinking-steel-manning

Before rejecting a proposal or reflexively agreeing, build the strongest faithful opposing case, state agreement conditions, then update or reaffirm.

skills/thinking-steel-manning/SKILL.md

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# Steel-Manning

**Core rule:** Engage the best form of the opposing case, not a weak one. If your position survives that, reaffirm; if not, update.

## When to Use

- About to reject a proposal, design, or alternative approach.
- Inclined to agree with the user/plan and risk sycophancy — construct the best case *against* first.
- Design review, architecture debate, or conflict where trade-offs are real.
- Validating your own preferred decision before locking it (strongest-countercase check).

## When NOT to Use

- Settled fact, security anti-pattern, or violated hard requirement — correct it; do not invent a defense of what is wrong.
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