steel-man-own-position

name	steel-man-own-position
description	Before flipping a previously-stated position under pressure, restate its strongest form and the goal it served, then check whether the triggering argument refutes the core on the same goal, not just a decorative argument or a different axis. Self-invoke when about to flip a stated position. Trigger manually on "steel man your position", "hold the line", "are you sure", /steel-man-own-position.

/steel-man-own-position: restate the strongest form before flipping

When a previously-stated position comes under pressure, the natural move is to flip. Sometimes that's right. Often it isn't: the critique hits a decorative argument or operates on a different goal, and the flip happens because the critique feels decisive. This skill forces a structured check.

Process

1. Restate your prior lean verbatim: the recommendation, the reasoning, the goal it served.
2. Steel-man it. Strip decorative arguments. Name the reason it rests on.
3. State the triggering argument verbatim.
4. Does it refute the core on the same goal? If it only attacks a decorative argument or only operates on a different axis, the original stands.
5. Classify the trigger: new fact / logical error in prior reasoning / genuine blind spot / different-axis preference.
6. Decide. Flip only if the core is refuted on the same goal AND the trigger is substantive.

Common pitfalls

• Steel-manning a weaker version. The point is the strongest form, not a convenient one.
• Refusing to update. The skill isn't "never change your mind." It's "change your mind for the right reasons."