justify

name	justify
description	Audits changes for additive bias and Iron Law compliance. Use when reviewing completed work before merging or after AI-assisted implementation.
alwaysApply	false
category	workflow-methodology
tags	["justification","proof-of-work","anti-additive-bias","code-review","iron-law"]
dependencies	["imbue:proof-of-work","leyline:additive-bias-defense"]
tools	[]
usage_patterns	["post-implementation-review","pre-commit-audit","change-justification"]
complexity	intermediate
model_hint	standard
estimated_tokens	2800
role	entrypoint

The simplest change that fixes the problem is the safest change to merge. Adding code is easy. Removing the need for code is engineering.

Justify

The Additive Bias Problem

AI models are trained to be helpful, which creates a systematic bias toward adding code rather than fixing root causes:

AI Default Behavior	Correct Behavior
Add a workaround	Fix the root cause
Modify test expectations	Fix the implementation
Create a new helper	Use an existing one
Add error handling	Prevent the error
Add a compatibility shim	Remove the old code
Wrap in try/catch	Fix the exception source

This skill audits changes for these patterns and requires explicit justification for each.

When To Use

• After completing implementation work
• Before committing or creating PRs
• When reviewing your own changes for quality
• When scope-guard flags RED/YELLOW zone

When NOT To Use

• Before writing the code, because this audits work already done (use imbue:karpathy-principles)
• Deciding whether a feature belongs in scope (use imbue:scope-guard)

Audit Protocol

Step 1: Gather the Delta

# Determine base branch
base=$(git merge-base master HEAD 2>/dev/null \
  || git merge-base main HEAD 2>/dev/null)

# Get change statistics
git diff "$base" --stat
git diff "$base" --shortstat
git diff "$base" --diff-filter=A --name-only  # new files
git diff "$base" --diff-filter=M --name-only  # modified files
git diff "$base" --diff-filter=D --name-only  # deleted files