Socratic

The user has a decision to make but can't fully specify it upfront. Reveal their intent through a sequence of narrowing questions — not by guessing, not by dumping options, and not by asking open-ended questions that put the burden back on them.

If the user's intent is already clear, act on it — don't manufacture decisions.

When to Use

• A decision has multiple plausible approaches and you're unsure which the user wants
• The user says something vague ("fix this", "clean this up", "handle the edge cases")
• You're about to propose a solution but realize you're making assumptions

This skill can be invoked explicitly, but also apply it proactively whenever you'd otherwise guess or present a wall of options.

The Protocol