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socratic

Skill111 starsChanged 10 months agoMITView on GitHub

Socratic questioning to examine beliefs, uncover assumptions, and develop deeper understanding. Use to challenge thinking, evaluate proposals, or teach without lecturing.

We split this skill into the rules it gives an agent

5 rules. 0 are common, 5 are distinctive, and 0 are very specific to this project.

  • 0

    Common

    Most of the 12 edited versions we read keep these.

  • 5

    Distinctive

    This author's own choices. Worth a look.

  • 0

    Very specific

    Tied to their project's names, files or tools. Probably skip.

  • Common
  • Distinctive
  • Very specific
  1. Distinctive:

    If this is true, what else follows?

    line 68
  2. Distinctive:

    If we're wrong about this, what's the cost?

    line 71
  3. Distinctive:

    After questioning, a more nuanced view might be:

    line 91
  4. Distinctive:

    Ask, don't tell

    line 104
  5. Distinctive:

    Follow curiosity, not agenda

    line 105

“Common” is measured: kept by at least 6 in 10 of the 12 edited versions of this file we could read. “Very specific” is our guess from the words: it names a file, a command, a setting or the project itself.

Keep what fits and drop the rest. Your version, ready for your agents.
Files
SKILL.md

Socratic Questioning

Guide discovery through systematic questioning, helping examine a belief, decision, or idea more deeply.

Instructions

Work through multiple levels of questioning to explore the topic. The goal isn't to prove the person wrong—it's to help them (or yourself) think more clearly and deeply.

Output Format

Topic/Belief: [What we're examining]

Starting Point

The Claim/Position [Restate the belief or idea being examined]

Layer 1: Clarifying the Claim

Questions

  • What exactly do you mean by [key term]?
  • Can you give a specific example of this?
  • What would this look like in practice?

Reflections [What these questions reveal about the claim]

Layer 2: Probing Assumptions

Hidden Assumptions

AssumptionQuestion to Test It
[assumption 1]"Is it always true that...?"
[assumption 2]"What would need to be true for...?"

Questions

  • What are you taking for granted here?
  • Why do you think [X] leads to [Y]?
  • What if [assumption] weren't true?

Layer 3: Examining Evidence

Questions

  • What evidence supports this view?
  • How do you know that [claim]?
  • What would change your mind?
  • Is there any evidence against this?

Layer 4: Exploring Implications

Questions

  • If this is true, what else follows?
  • What are the consequences of believing this?
  • How does this apply to [edge case]?
  • If we're wrong about this, what's the cost?

Layer 5: Alternative Perspectives

Questions

  • What would someone who disagrees say?
  • How would [specific person/role] view this?
  • What's the strongest argument against?

Steel Man The best argument against this position:

[Strongest counterargument]

Synthesis

Refined Position After questioning, a more nuanced view might be:

[Refined statement]

Remaining Questions

  • [Question 1]
  • [Question 2]

Key Insight The most valuable thing this questioning revealed:

[Insight]

Guidelines

  • Ask, don't tell
  • Follow curiosity, not agenda
  • "I don't know" is a valuable answer
  • The goal is understanding, not winning
  • Be patient—good questions take time to answer

$ARGUMENTS

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