Better Option Check

Input: $ARGUMENTS (user’s current choice and preference profile)

Purpose

Users often choose the first viable option, not the best option. This procedure systematically checks if better options exist.

Principle: Before committing, verify no better option is being missed. Surface what the user doesn’t know exists.

Step 1: Identify Current Choice

USER'S CURRENT CHOICE: [what they're considering]

Evidence of commitment:
├── Stated directly: [quote if available]
├── Implied by behavior: [what suggests this choice]
├── Assumed by default: [if no explicit choice, what's implied]
└── Commitment level: EXPLORING / LEANING / DECIDED

Why this choice:
├── [reason 1]
├── [reason 2]
└── [unknown - not stated]

Step 2: Extract Preferences from Choice

What does choosing this option reveal about preferences?

Inferred Preference	How Inferred	Strength
[preference 1]	[current choice has this property]	STRONG/WEAK
[preference 2]	[current choice has this property]	STRONG/WEAK
[preference 3]	[what’s sacrificed suggests anti-preference]	STRONG/WEAK

Step 3: Generate Full Option Space

List ALL options in the category, not just obvious ones:

OPTION SPACE FOR: [category]

Commonly Known Options:
├── [option 1] - [brief description]
├── [option 2] - [brief description]
└── [option 3] - [brief description]

Less Known Options:
├── [option 4] - [why overlooked]
├── [option 5] - [why overlooked]
└── [option 6] - [why overlooked]

Hybrid Options:
├── [combination 1] - [elements combined]
├── [combination 2] - [elements combined]
└── [combination 3] - [elements combined]

Non-Obvious Options:
├── [option 7] - [why not obvious]
├── [option 8] - [why not obvious]
└── [option 9] - [why not obvious]

Options User Likely Doesn't Know About:
├── [option 10] - [why likely unknown]
├── [option 11] - [why likely unknown]
└── [option 12] - [why likely unknown]

TOTAL: [count] options generated

Minimum: Generate 20+ options before comparison.

Step 4: Score All Options Against Preferences

Option	Pref 1	Pref 2	Pref 3	Pref 4	Pref 5	Total	Rank
Current choice	✓/✗/~	✓/✗/~	✓/✗/~	✓/✗/~	✓/✗/~	[N]/5	[R]
[option 2]	✓/✗/~	✓/✗/~	✓/✗/~	✓/✗/~	✓/✗/~	[N]/5	[R]
[option 3]	✓/✗/~	✓/✗/~	✓/✗/~	✓/✗/~	✓/✗/~	[N]/5	[R]

Key:

✓ = matches preference
✗ = conflicts with preference
~ = neutral/unknown

Step 5: Identify Better Options

OPTIONS THAT RANK HIGHER THAN CURRENT CHOICE:

1. [option name]
   Score: [X]/5 vs current [Y]/5
   Better because: [specific advantages]
   Why user might not have considered: [reason]

2. [option name]
   Score: [X]/5 vs current [Y]/5
   Better because: [specific advantages]
   Why user might not have considered: [reason]

3. [option name]
   Score: [X]/5 vs current [Y]/5
   Better because: [specific advantages]
   Why user might not have considered: [reason]

Step 6: Analyze Why User Chose Suboptimally

If better options exist, why is user choosing current option?

Reason for Suboptimal Choice	Evidence	Addressable?
Didn’t know better option exists	[not mentioned]	YES - inform
Assumed constraint that doesn’t exist	[stated belief]	YES - verify
Used wrong criteria	[stated reasons]	YES - reframe
Satisficing (first viable)	[stopped searching]	YES - show better
Emotional attachment	[signs of attachment]	MAYBE - understand why
Sunk cost	[prior investment]	MAYBE - reframe
Social pressure	[others’ expectations]	MAYBE - surface values
Status quo bias	[defaulting to familiar]	YES - show concrete benefit
Actually optimal (we’re wrong)	[hidden info]	NO - update our understanding

Step 7: Generate “Before You Commit” Summary

## BEFORE COMMITTING TO: [current choice]

### Options That Match Your Preferences Better

1. **[Better Option 1]**
   - Matches: [preferences it satisfies]
   - Why you might not have considered it: [reason]
   - Compared to your current choice: [specific comparison]
   - Worth exploring if: [condition]

2. **[Better Option 2]**
   - Matches: [preferences it satisfies]
   - Why you might not have considered it: [reason]
   - Compared to your current choice: [specific comparison]
   - Worth exploring if: [condition]

### What Your Current Choice Sacrifices

- [preference X] - your choice doesn't provide this
- [preference Y] - your choice works against this

### Recommendation

[PROCEED / EXPLORE_ALTERNATIVES / STOP_AND_RECONSIDER]

Reason: [why this recommendation]

Step 8: Present Without Overwhelming

If many better options exist, prioritize:

Priority	Option	Why Prioritized
1	[option]	Highest preference match + most overlooked
2	[option]	Second highest match
3	[option]	Interesting alternative frame

Maximum 3 alternatives to present - more causes decision paralysis.

Output Format

## BETTER OPTION CHECK

### Current Choice
[what user is considering]
Commitment level: [EXPLORING/LEANING/DECIDED]
Preference match score: [X]/[total]

### Full Option Space
[count] options identified
[list grouped by category]

### Options That Rank Higher
1. [option]: Score [X]/[total]
2. [option]: Score [X]/[total]
3. [option]: Score [X]/[total]

### Why User May Be Settling
[analysis of suboptimal choice reasons]

### Before You Commit
[3 prioritized alternatives to consider]

### Recommendation
[PROCEED / EXPLORE / RECONSIDER]
[reason]

Execution Checklist

Current choice identified with commitment level
Preferences extracted from choice
20+ options generated in full space
All options scored against preferences
Better options identified
Reasons for suboptimal choice analyzed
Top 3 alternatives prioritized
Recommendation generated

Next Procedure

If EXPLORE_ALTERNATIVES: → INVOKE: /category_analysis on the better options

If RECONSIDER: → INVOKE: /value_elicitation to clarify what user actually wants

Execute now: Check if better options exist for the user’s current choice.