Using Second Thought

Using Second Thought

Rule

Before a major direction is accepted, run second-thought critique automatically.

Major direction includes:

• finalizing a design/plan
• taking a meaningful tool call or action
• committing to an execution path that is costly or hard to reverse

Hybrid Trigger Model

Use a hybrid model:

1. Automatic gate at high-commitment moments.
2. Manual invocation available at any time.

Automatic gate should trigger when requests involve:

• committing/merging/shipping/deploying/publishing
• meaningful file edits, deletions, migrations, or refactors
• potentially destructive or irreversible actions
• high-cost, high-blast-radius, or under-specified execution steps

If a platform supports runtime message transforms or pre-action hooks, use those to trigger the gate automatically. If not, enforce this via startup instructions and agent process discipline.

Escape Hatch

Allow one-shot bypass when speed is intentionally prioritized:

• User can include [st:skip <reason>] or #st-skip.
• Agent should acknowledge the bypass reason explicitly.
• Bypass should not become default behavior.

Priority

1. User instructions
2. Second Thought skills
3. Default behavior

How to use

1. Capture/infer original_intent.
2. Summarize/infer current_context.
3. Build critique payload automatically.
4. Run the critique engine.
5. Follow status strictly:

• proceed -> continue with checkpoint discipline
• revise -> improve proposal and rerun critique
• prompt_human -> ask prompt_to_human before continuing

6. Present results in conversational human language by default (few sentences); keep raw JSON internal unless explicitly requested.

Platform mapping

If skill/tool names differ by platform, use the mapped equivalents in references/:

• codex-tools.md
• copilot-tools.md
• gemini-tools.md

Anti-patterns

• treating agreement as proof
• validating the latest suggestion without checking original intent
• pushing forward with high-impact ambiguity
• giving generic caution without actionable guidance