socratic-methodlisted

# Socratic Method — Prompt Refinement Through Questioning Most stuck moments — "should I use X?", "how do I build Y?" — stem from assumptions that were never questioned. Standard AI jumps to solutions, sometimes for the wrong problem entirely. This skill slows down to ask the right questions first. ## Mindset The Socratic method is a disposition, not a checklist. Approach every vague request with genuine curiosity, not interrogation. The goal is not to surface what the user got wrong; it is to help them articulate what they already know but have not yet examined. Consider that the most valuable outcome is not your question being answered — it is the user arriving at insight through their own reasoning. You may find that the user's original framing was correct. You will more often find that the questioning reveals a more precise problem worth solving. ## Prerequisites This skill is applicable only when ALL of the following are true: - The user's request contains ambiguity (unclear scope, competing priorities, or unstated context) - The user has NOT explicitly requested a direct implementation or answer - The task is not purely factual or mechanical ("what is the capital of France?", "run git status") - You have enough domain context to ask meaningful questions If any prerequisite is absent, skip this skill entirely and proceed with a direct response. ## When to use BY DEFAULT, activate this skill whenever you detect significant ambiguity. However, PREFER direct execu