By name: steel-man-own-position description: Before flipping a previously-stated position under pressure, restate its strongest form and the goal it served, then check whether the triggering argument refutes the core on the same goal — not just a decorative argument or a different axis. Self-invoke when about to flip a stated position. Trigger manually on "steel man your position", "hold the line", "are you sure", /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
- Restate your prior lean verbatim — the recommendation, the reasoning, the goal it served.
- Steel-man it. Strip decorative arguments. Name the load-bearing reason.
- State the triggering argument verbatim.
- 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.
- Classify the trigger — new fact / logical error in prior reasoning / genuine blind spot / different-axis preference.
- 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."