Assume Relation

Input: $ARGUMENTS

Core Move

Take two things and assume they are meaningfully related. Not coincidence — genuine connection. Then figure out what KIND of connection and what it means.

Useful for testing suspected connections, exploring non-obvious links, and pushing past “that’s just a coincidence.”

Procedure

Step 1: Identify the Two Things

What are we assuming are related?

A: [first thing]
B: [second thing]

Step 2: Force the Assumption

“A and B are genuinely, meaningfully connected. The connection is real.”

Step 3: Explore Relationship Types

If they’re related, HOW?

Type	Description	A→B looks like…
Causal	A causes B	[how?]
Reverse causal	B causes A	[how?]
Common cause	C causes both A and B	[what’s C?]
Constitutive	A is part of B (or vice versa)	[how?]
Correlational	They co-occur without direct causation	[why?]
Analogical	They share structural similarity	[what structure?]
Temporal	One precedes the other	[sequence?]
Oppositional	They are defined against each other	[how?]
Enabling	A makes B possible	[mechanism?]
Constraining	A limits B	[how?]

Step 4: Test the Best Candidate

For the most plausible relationship type:

What evidence supports it?
What would falsify it?
What does the relationship predict? — If A and B are related this way, what else should we observe?
What’s the mechanism? — How does the connection work?

Step 5: Synthesize

A: [first thing]
B: [second thing]
ASSUMING RELATED:
  Most likely type: [relationship type]
  Mechanism: [how it works]
  Predicts: [what else should be true]
  Falsified by: [what would disprove it]
RELATION CONFIDENCE: [high/medium/low]
IMPLICATION: [what this means for the user's situation]

When to Use

Suspect a connection between two things but aren’t sure
Need to clarify what KIND of relationship exists
Want to test whether a correlation is meaningful

Integration

Follow with /acaus if the relationship appears causal
Use /ht to design a test of the relationship
Pair with /airr to test the opposite (no relation)

arel - Assume Relation