| name | vault-challenge |
| description | Vault argues back. Pulls your own history to challenge current thinking. Use when making decisions, proposing architecture, or before committing to a direction. The vault is not a yes-man -- it remembers what you've learned the hard way.
|
/vault-challenge [topic or decision]
The vault challenges your current thinking using your own history.
Steps
-
Read _CLAUDE.md at vault root for folder map.
-
Identify the claim -- what is the user proposing, deciding, or assuming?
If no explicit topic, challenge the most recent significant decision in conversation.
-
Deep vault search -- spawn 3 parallel search agents:
- History agent: Search daily notes (last 30 days) +
log.md for past instances where the user tried something similar. What happened? What was the lesson?
- Decision agent: Search project + research folders for past decisions on the same topic. Read "Key Decisions" sections. Were there reversals?
- Pattern agent: Search other domain folders for structural analogues. Has this pattern failed in a different domain?
-
Build the challenge:
## Challenge: [one-line summary of what's being questioned]
### Your Own Words
> [Direct quotes from vault notes that contradict or complicate the current plan]
### What Happened Last Time
[Concrete outcome from past attempt, with date and source note]
### The Steel-Man Counter
[Strongest possible argument against the current direction, built from vault evidence]
### What This Doesn't Mean
[Acknowledge where the current plan IS strong -- fair challenge, not nihilism]
### Questions You Should Answer Before Proceeding
1. [Specific question derived from evidence]
2. [Another]
3. [Another]
-
If no counter-evidence found -- say so honestly. "Vault has nothing against this -- either it's genuinely new territory or your notes don't cover this domain yet."
-
Append to log.md: ## [YYYY-MM-DD] challenge | [topic] -- [outcome: challenged/clear]
Rules
- All output in the user's language (from
_CLAUDE.md Language section). The templates below are structural examples in English -- translate ALL headings, labels, and descriptions. E.g., Chinese user sees "## 挑战：", "### 你自己说过的话", "### 上次发生了什么", not English headings. Only direct quotes from vault notes stay in their original language.
- Quote the user's own words -- this is what makes it hit different from generic critique
- Never fabricate evidence -- if the vault doesn't have it, say so
- Be specific -- "you tried X on 2026-03-15 and it failed because Y" not "you've had mixed results"
- Include the source note path so they can go read the full context
- This is not a blocker -- present evidence, let the user decide
When to Suggest
- User says "I'm going to..." or "let's do..." on something non-trivial
- Architecture decisions that affect multiple projects
- Before committing significant time/resources
