behavior-from-psychology

name	behavior-from-psychology
description	Derive character actions from core desire, core fear, and false belief instead of plot convenience.

Behavior From Psychology

Use this skill when planning a scene with meaningful character action.

Every important action should grow from the character's psychology triangle:

• Core desire: what the character is trying to secure beneath the surface goal.
• Core fear: what loss or exposure the character is trying to avoid.
• False belief: the wrong assumption that filters how the character reads the situation.

Derivation Path

For each significant action:

1. Name the current pressure in the scene.
2. Identify which desire or fear the pressure activates.
3. Explain how the false belief distorts the character's interpretation.
4. Derive the visible action or line of dialogue from that interpretation.

Failure Modes

• The action exists because the plot needs it, but the character has no internal reason to do it.
• Two characters with different psychology triangles react in the same way under pressure.
• A character suddenly understands or overcomes their false belief without a strong event that forces that change.