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 load-bearing reason.
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."