Virtuous Laziness

Generate less code when less code produces a better system.

Core Principle

Optimize for future human time, not present task completion or code volume.

Do the hard thinking before writing the easy code. Your output is cheap; the codebase's future maintenance is not.

The Three Virtues

Use the classic programmer virtues as operating checks:

• Laziness: Reduce total future effort. Delete, consolidate, automate, type-check, test, or document only when it prevents repeated work.
• Impatience: Refuse recurring friction. Fix the source of repeated errors, confusing boundaries, slow feedback, or awkward workflows.
• Hubris: Hold the code to a standard worth inheriting. Avoid leaving work that depends on another agent to keep patching it.

Do not confuse laziness with the smallest immediate diff. A slightly larger change is justified when it removes meaningful future burden.