Socratic Method — Prompt Refinement Through Questioning

Most stuck moments — "should I use X?", "how do I build Y?" — stem from assumptions that were never questioned. Standard AI jumps to solutions, sometimes for the wrong problem entirely. This skill slows down to ask the right questions first.

Mindset

The Socratic method is a disposition, not a checklist. Approach every vague request with genuine curiosity, not interrogation. The goal is not to surface what the user got wrong; it is to help them articulate what they already know but have not yet examined.

Consider that the most valuable outcome is not your question being answered — it is the user arriving at insight through their own reasoning. You may find that the user's original framing was correct. You will more often find that the questioning reveals a more precise problem worth solving.

When to use

Activate this skill when: