problem-framing-auditlisted

# Problem Framing Audit (Discipline -1) > Before you solve, audit the frame. A flawless solution to the wrong problem is still a wrong answer. ## Purpose The first failure mode in critical thinking is solving the wrong problem precisely (Mitroff & Featheringham 1974, Type III error). Most "thinking harder" effort runs downstream of a frame that was never audited — the user's literal request, restated as my plan, treated as ground truth. This skill is the structural answer. The frame audit runs **before** the materiality gate. Materiality asks "if I get this answer wrong, would it change anything?" Framing asks something prior: "am I even working on the right question?" ## When to Activate | Trigger | Activation | |---|---| | Single-file edit, < 15 minutes of work, mechanical task | **Skip** — frame audit adds friction without payoff | | Task uses the words "fix", "improve", "make faster", "speed up", "broken", "make it work" | **Always audit** — these phrases hide a symptom-frame | | Task spans 3+ files, requires architectural choice, or estimates > 15 minutes | **Always audit** | | User restates the same request after a failed attempt | **Always audit** — repeated failure is a signal the frame is wrong | | User says "just" do X, or "simply" Y, or "all you have to do is" | **Always audit** — these phrases mark unexamined frames | | User explicitly invokes `/problem-framing-audit` or asks "what am I missing?" | **Always audit** | The rule is asymmetric on purpose: triv