WANTTO - I Want To
Input: $ARGUMENTS
Corruption Pre-Inoculation
User praise or validation is a signal to test HARDER, not softer. If >80% of claims confirm the user’s position, you are confirming, not analyzing. Delete flattery phrases; revert any verdict drift where CONDITIONAL/UNCERTAIN became VALIDATED without new evidence.
Full protocol:
_shared/corruption-pre-inoculation.md
Core Principles
-
Assume the want is right. The user wants what they say they want. Take it seriously. Trace what it implies — what it commits them to, what it requires, what paths it opens, what it forecloses. This is AR applied to desires.
-
Wants are bundled. “I want to start a business” bundles: I want autonomy, I want income, I want to work on this specific thing, I believe a business is the way to get these, I believe I can run a business. Unbundle to find what following through actually requires.
-
Tracing implications reveals the actual want. The stated want is the surface. By assuming it’s right and following the implications, you discover what the user is actually committed to — which may be deeper or different than what they said. “I want to quit my job” → if right → implies the job is the obstacle → implies they want what the job prevents → THAT is the actual want.
-
Wants have prerequisites. “I want to write a book” requires: something to say, time to write, knowledge of how to write, willingness to endure the process. These are implications of the want being right — things that must also be true.
-
Map before routing. Understand the full want before sending the user to another skill. A premature /foht or /ar on the wrong aspect wastes the session.
-
Every finding gets tracked. Number every unbundled want, implication, prerequisite, and path. Nothing gets lost in prose.
Phase 1: EXPLORATION
Step 1: State and Unbundle the Want
STATED WANT: [what the user said — exact words]
Unbundle into component claims. Number each:
[G1] DESIRE: [what they want to have/feel/be — the end state]
[G2] METHOD: [the approach they've assumed — the stated way to get there]
[G3] BELIEF: [why they think this method leads to this desire]
[G4] ASSUMPTION: [what must be true for this to work]
[G5] IMPLICIT WANT: [an unstated want bundled inside]
[G6] ANTI-WANT: [what they want to STOP or AVOID — often the real driver]
Example check: If the user provided concrete examples, list them. Then verify: does each G-item match what the examples suggest? Examples are the highest-fidelity signal of intent — if the examples contradict your unbundling, the unbundling is wrong, not the examples.
Step 2: Trace Implications (Assume Right)
Assume the want is right. What follows?
[G7] If [G1 desire] is right → what must also be true? [implication]
[G8] If [G2 method] is right → what does it commit to? [commitment]
[G9] If [G3 belief] is right → what does it foreclose? [foreclosure]
[G10] If [G4 assumption] is right → what does it require? [prerequisite]
Follow the implication chain to find what the user is actually committed to:
[G11] ACTUAL WANT: [what the implication chain points to — the deeper thing]
[G12] CONFIDENCE: [high/medium/low — how clear is the chain]
[G13] The stated want serves: [what deeper want G1 is a means to]
Step 3: Surface Prerequisites
For the actual want, what must be true or exist before it can be achieved?
[G13] PREREQUISITE: [what must exist/be true] — STATUS: [met/unmet/unknown]
[G14] PREREQUISITE: [what must exist/be true] — STATUS: [met/unmet/unknown]
[G15] PREREQUISITE: [what must exist/be true] — STATUS: [met/unmet/unknown]
[G16] BLOCKER: [what currently prevents the want] — REMOVABLE: [yes/no/unknown]
[G17] BLOCKER: [what currently prevents the want] — REMOVABLE: [yes/no/unknown]
Step 4: Map the Path Space
What are the possible paths from current state to the actual want?
[G18] PATH: [approach 1 — brief description]
[G19] Requires: [prerequisites — G-numbers or new]
[G20] Gives up: [what this path forecloses]
[G21] Risk: [main risk]
[G22] PATH: [approach 2]
[G23] Requires: [prerequisites]
[G24] Gives up: [foreclosures]
[G25] Risk: [main risk]
[G26] PATH: [approach 3 — the one nobody considers]
...
[G27] DO-NOTHING PATH: [what happens if the user does nothing]
[G28] Outcome: [where they end up]
[G29] Is this acceptable? [yes/no — and to whom]
Step 5: Trace Key Implications Deeper
For the most load-bearing implications, recurse:
IMPLICATION [G-number]: [text]
[G30] If right → [what must also be true] — Necessary/Probable/Possible
[G31] If THAT is right → [deeper implication]
[G32] [→ BEDROCK or keep going]
[G33] FORECLOSED by this: [what becomes impossible if this implication holds]
Step 6: Identify the Crux
What is the single most important thing to get right?
[G34] CRUX: [the decision/assumption/prerequisite that changes everything]
[G35] IF CRUX GOES ONE WAY: [consequence — G-numbers]
[G36] IF CRUX GOES OTHER WAY: [consequence — G-numbers]
[G37] HOW TO RESOLVE CRUX: [what would determine which way it goes]
Phase 2: FINDING REGISTRY
Compile EVERY finding. Nothing gets left out.
FINDING REGISTRY
================
UNBUNDLED WANT:
[G1] [text] -- TYPE: desire
[G2] [text] -- TYPE: method
[G3] [text] -- TYPE: belief
[G4] [text] -- TYPE: assumption
[G5] [text] -- TYPE: implicit want
[G6] [text] -- TYPE: anti-want
IMPLICATIONS (Assume Right):
[G7] [text] -- TYPE: implication
[G8] [text] -- TYPE: commitment
[G9] [text] -- TYPE: foreclosure
[G10] [text] -- TYPE: prerequisite
ACTUAL WANT:
[G11] [text] -- CONFIDENCE: [high/medium/low]
[G12] [text]
[G13] [text] -- TYPE: deeper want
PREREQUISITES:
[G13] [text] -- STATUS: [met/unmet/unknown]
...
BLOCKERS:
[G16] [text] -- REMOVABLE: [yes/no/unknown]
...
PATHS:
[G18] [text] -- TYPE: path
[G19-G21] [details]
[G22] [text] -- TYPE: path
[G23-G25] [details]
[G26] [text] -- TYPE: unconventional path
[G27] [text] -- TYPE: do-nothing path
IMPLICATION CHAINS:
[G30] [text] -- FOR: [G-number] -- STRENGTH: [necessary/probable/possible]
[G31] [text] -- PARENT: G30 -- STRENGTH: [necessary/probable/possible]
[G33] [text] -- TYPE: foreclosure
...
CRUX:
[G34] [text]
[G35] [text]
[G36] [text]
[G37] [text]
TOTALS:
- Unbundled components: [N]
- Implications traced: [N]
- Foreclosures: [N]
- Prerequisites: [N] ([N] met, [N] unmet, [N] unknown)
- Blockers: [N] ([N] removable)
- Paths mapped: [N]
- Crux identified: [yes/no]
Phase 3: SYNTHESIS
Derived entirely from the registry. No new findings.
USER SAID: [exact stated want]
ACTUAL WANT: [G11 — what the implication chain points to]
CONFIDENCE: [G12]
STATED ≠ ACTUAL: [yes/no — and why, with G-numbers]
CURRENT STATE:
- Prerequisites met: [G-numbers]
- Prerequisites unmet: [G-numbers]
- Active blockers: [G-numbers]
PATHS AVAILABLE:
| Path | Requires | Gives Up | Risk | Status |
|------|----------|----------|------|--------|
| [G18] | [G19] | [G20] | [G21] | viable/blocked/risky |
| [G22] | [G23] | [G24] | [G25] | viable/blocked/risky |
| [G26] | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Do nothing [G27] | — | — | [G28] | [acceptable/unacceptable] |
CRUX: [G34]
- Resolves by: [G37]
COMMITMENT CHAIN (what the want commits you to):
[List implications that must also be true — G-numbers]
FORECLOSURES (what the want forecloses):
[List what becomes impossible — G-numbers]
FIRST ACTIONS:
1. [action] — resolves: [G-numbers] — WHO: [Claude/user]
2. [action] — resolves: [G-numbers] — WHO: [Claude/user]
3. [action] — resolves: [G-numbers] — WHO: [Claude/user]
READY FOR:
- /foht [specific sub-goal where method is unknown]
- /ar [specific implication to trace deeper]
- /aw [specific commitment to stress-test — only if confidence is low]
- /qo [if the want involves writing/communication — find the question order]
Depth Scaling
| Depth | Min Unbundled | Min Paths | Min Assumptions Tested | Min Total Findings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1x | 4 | 2 | 1 | 15 |
| 2x | 6 | 3 | 2 | 28 |
| 4x | 8 | 5 | 4 | 45 |
| 8x | 12 | 7 | 6 | 75 |
Default: 2x. These are floors.
Anti-Failure Checks
| Failure Mode | Signal | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Taking the want at face value | Jumping straight to methods for the stated want | Trace implications first. The actual want emerges from the commitment chain. |
| No foreclosures | Only listing what the want opens up | Every want also forecloses. Find what becomes impossible. |
| Skipping prerequisites | ”Here’s how to do it” without checking readiness | Every want has prerequisites. Surface them. |
| No do-nothing path | Missing the option of not pursuing the want | Always map what happens if the user does nothing. Sometimes it’s fine. |
| No unconventional path | Every path is the obvious approach | At least one path should reframe the problem. |
| Crux-free | No crux identified | If there’s no crux, either the want is trivial or you haven’t dug deep enough. |
| All paths viable | Every path looks good | Find the costs and foreclosures. Every path gives something up. |
| Examples ignored | G5/G11 contradict the user’s concrete examples | If user gave examples like “what’s next”, “how do I”, and you labeled the implicit want as adversarial/stress-testing — the examples override abstract framing. Re-read the examples and re-derive. |
Pre-Completion Check
- Want unbundled into desire, method, belief, assumption, implicit want, anti-want
- Implications traced (assume right — what does the want commit you to?)
- Actual want identified via implication chain (distinguished from stated want)
- Foreclosures identified (what the want makes impossible)
- Prerequisites surfaced with met/unmet/unknown status
- Blockers identified with removable/not assessment
- At least [depth minimum] paths mapped including do-nothing and unconventional
- Crux identified (or explicitly stated as absent with reasoning)
- ALL findings from Phase 1 in registry (none dropped)
- Synthesis introduces NO new findings
- First actions are specific and assigned (Claude or user)
- Output routes to appropriate next skill
- Example check: If user provided concrete examples, every G-item is consistent with them. Examples > abstract framing.