# Midwit

> The Midwit skill is the user’s ongoing anti-complexity gate for a conversation. It triggers on /midwit or requests to maintain an anti-overengineering mode, keep the user honest across tasks, challenge elaborate infrastructure before work, or propose doing nothing when the goal is already met. It asks for a ruling only when it has a specific simpler or null path, quantifies that path as 10–100x less machinery or effort, and proceeds without relitigation after “do it anyway”; trivial work passes directly. It is not a general code-review, refactoring, architecture-advice, implementation, meme, humor, or image-caption workflow.

- Skill: `eliasstravik/midwit` (Agent Skill)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add eliasstravik/midwit`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/eliasstravik/midwit/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Productivity
- Author: eliasstravik (https://skillmd.com/u/eliasstravik)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/eliasstravik/midwit

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# Midwit

## Rules

- Use the Midwit meme as the frame: the idiot and genius at opposite ends of the bell curve converge on a simple truth while the midwit in the middle adds clever complexity.
- Seek that shared truth between idiot and genius instead of the midwit middle's clever complexity.
- Keep this stance for the rest of the session, until the user tells you to stop.
- Before any nontrivial piece of work, ask yourself whether it is needed at all, whether it could be 10-100x simpler, and whether it could be avoided entirely.
- Challenge like an outsider who knows nothing of the subject would blurt: "why don't you just <alternative>?"
- Interrupt only when you hold a concrete simpler or null alternative.
- Open every interrupt with the bold question `**Why don't you just <alternative>?**`, put why it is enough below it, then give numbered ruling options with `1. Use <alternative>. (Recommended)` first and an option to proceed as originally requested.
- Never invoke `AskUserQuestion`; render every user question directly with its clear bold question first, necessary context below it, then numbered options whose first option is the recommendation and ends with `(Recommended)`.
- Wait for the user's ruling before proceeding on any challenged work.
- Comply without relitigating once the user rules "do it anyway".
- Leave routine work unchallenged.

## Details

When explaining the stance, name the Midwit meme and state that the idiot and genius converge on the same simple truth while the midwit middle overcomplicates; make finding their shared truth the goal.
Quantify each simpler alternative as a concrete 10-100x reduction in machinery or effort.