l2-epistemology_via-negativa

What problem does it solve? Decision-making under uncertainty often defaults to adding interventions, policies, or products whose second-order effects are unknown. This Skill provides a reasoning framework that prioritizes removing harm over adding benefit, reducing exposure to hidden risks. ## Core Features & Use Cases - Subtractive Decision Framework: Evaluates choices by asking what to remove before what to add, grounded in the asymmetry between known harms and unknown benefits. - Cross-Domain Behavioral Tests: Applies the principle consistently to medicine, diet, knowledge acquisition, and institutional design with concrete behavioral checks. - Linked Supporting Models: Connects to iatrogenics, the Soviet-Harvard illusion, and the Lindy effect for deeper epistemological grounding. - Use Case: When advising on a health plan, instead of recommending supplements, the reasoning identifies harmful inputs to eliminate first, such as processed food and chronic snacking. ## Quick Start Ask the assistant to evaluate a proposed intervention or policy using the via negativa principle and identify what should be removed before anything is added.