thinking-circle-of-competence

1# Circle of Competence
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3Treat competence as an evidence boundary, not self-image. Answer only when grounded; otherwise fetch, mark uncertainty, or abstain. The failure mode is a fluent fabrication treated as fact.
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5## When to Use
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7- About to assert a specific fact (API, path, number, config, version behavior) without a citable source from this session.
8- The claim is about this codebase or system and you have not read or run the relevant artifact.
9- Pattern reconstruction would sound complete but is unconfirmed.
10- Cost of a wrong confident answer is material (security, data, irreversible action, trust).
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12## When NOT to Use
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14- Claim is grounded in something you read, ran, or can cite this session, or is stable universal knowledge — answer without false humility.
15- Error cost is trivial and reversible and you will flag the claim as unverified.
16- Grounding is one cheap fetch away — fetch first; abstention is not an excuse to skip a check.
17- User explicitly wants labeled brainstorming or hypotheticals.
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19## Procedure
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211. **Name the claim.** Isolate the assertion that would be treated as fact.
222. **Classify the zone.**
23   - *Grounded:* citeable session source (read/run) or stable non-version-specific knowledge.
24   - *Partial:* general shape known; version/repo/config detail unconfirmed.
25   - *Ungrounded:* would invent a concrete value with no source.
263. **Size wrongness cost.** If high-stakes (security, data loss, irreversible ops), treat Partial as Ungrounded until verified.
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