# Via Negativa Reduction > Identify what to remove, avoid, or stop doing before adding anything new. Apply the ancient principle of subtraction over addition to any problem. - Skill: `sethmblack/via-negativa-reduction` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add sethmblack/via-negativa-reduction` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/sethmblack/via-negativa-reduction/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - License: MIT - Author: sethmblack (https://skillmd.com/u/sethmblack) - Updated: 2026-09-08 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/sethmblack/via-negativa-reduction --- # Via Negativa Reduction Identify what to remove, avoid, or stop doing before adding anything new. Apply the ancient principle of subtraction over addition to any problem. --- ## When to Use - User asks "What should I do?" (redirect to "What should I stop?") - Analyzing an overcomplicated system, process, or life - Health, productivity, or performance optimization - When someone is adding solutions to problems caused by other additions - Request for "via negativa" approach or "what should I eliminate?" - Feeling overwhelmed by complexity --- ## Inputs | Input | Required | Description | |-------|----------|-------------| | domain | Yes | The area being optimized (health, business, career, habits, system, etc.) | | current_state | No | What currently exists (will explore if not provided) | | goals | No | What improvement is sought | | attempted_additions | No | What has already been added/tried | --- ## The Via Negativa Principle **Core insight:** "The learning of life is about what to avoid." ### Why Subtraction Beats Addition 1. **Addition has unseen costs.** Every new element interacts with existing elements in unpredictable ways. 2. **Iatrogenics:** Harm from intervention. In medicine, the treatment is often worse than the disease. Extend to all domains. 3. **Burden of proof:** An existing system has survived; a new addition is unproven. Lindy favors what remains, not what arrives. 4. **Complexity tax:** Each addition increases cognitive load, maintenance burden, and failure points. 5. **The grandmother test:** Your grandmother didn't have it, and she lived fine. Do you really need it? --- ## Workflow ### Step 1: Audit the Current State List everything present in the domain: - What activities, habits, commitments exist? - What tools, systems, processes are in use? - What beliefs, assumptions, relationships are operating? - What was added recently vs. what is long-standing (Lindy)? ### Step 2: Identify Candidates for Removal Apply these filters: **The Harm Test:** - What is actively causing damage? - What has known negative effects? - What would your grandmother warn against? **The Iatrogenics Test:** - What was added to "fix" something? - Is the fix causing more problems than it solves? - What interventions have hidden costs? **The Noise Test:** - What is pure noise (activity without signal)? - What consumes resources without providing value? - What exists because it's "how things are done"? **The Complexity Test:** - What requires ongoing maintenance? - What has single points of failure? - What creates dependencies? **The Non-Lindy Test:** - What is novel and unproven? - What would not exist in a simpler time? - What requires constant updates or attention? ### Step 3: Prioritize Removals Rank by: 1. **Magnitude of harm** (most harmful first) 2. **Ease of removal** (quick wins build momentum) 3. **Second-order effects** (does removing X eliminate need for Y?) ### Step 4: Execute Subtraction For each removal: - What specifically is being eliminated? - What replaces it? (Often: nothing) - What monitoring ensures it stays removed? - What relapse prevention is needed? ### Step 5: Only Then, Consider Addition After subtraction is complete: - Is anything still missing? - Does the addition have strong Lindy credentials? - Is the addition reversible? - What is the iatrogenic risk? --- ## Outputs ```markdown ## Via Negativa Analysis ### Domain [What is being analyzed] ### Current State Audit [Summary of what exists] ### Removals #### Critical Removals (Eliminate Immediately) | Item | Harm Caused | Removal Action | |------|-------------|----------------| | [Harmful element 1] | [Specific damage] | [How to remove] | | [Harmful element 2] | ... | ... | #### Iatrogenic Removals (Interventions Causing Harm) | Intervention | Original Problem | Harm Created | Removal Action | |--------------|-----------------|--------------|----------------| | [Fix that backfired] | [What it tried to solve] | [What it caused] | [How to remove] | #### Noise Removals (No Value) | Item | Why It's Noise | Removal Action | |------|---------------|----------------| | [Noisy element] | [Lack of value] | [How to remove] | ### Second-Order Effects [What else becomes unnecessary once primary removals are made] ### What Remains [The essential core after subtraction] ### Additions (If Still Needed) | Proposed Addition | Lindy Score | Iatrogenic Risk | Recommendation | |-------------------|-------------|-----------------|----------------| | [Addition if any] | [Time-tested?] | [Potential harm] | [Add/Don't add] | ### The Bottom Line [1-2 sentence synthesis in Taleb voice] ``` --- ## Error Handling | Situation | Response | |-----------|----------| | Insufficient input data | Request specific additional information needed for analysis | | Ambiguous requirements | Ask clarifying questions before proceeding | | Conflicting constraints | Highlight the conflicts and ask for prioritization | | Out of scope request | Explain the skill's boundaries and suggest alternatives | | Incomplete analysis | Acknowledge limitations and indicate what additional inputs would help | ## Constraints - Removal comes BEFORE addition—always - "Do nothing" is often the correct prescription - Do not recommend additions unless removals are insufficient - Reversible removals are preferable (can restore if needed) - Some things must be removed despite short-term pain --- ## Via Negativa by Domain ### Health **Remove:** Sugar, processed food, excess sitting, chronic stress, sleep disruption, alcohol excess **Don't add:** Supplements, biohacks, optimization protocols **The grandmother test:** If she didn't eat it, don't eat it ### Productivity **Remove:** Notifications, social media, meetings without agendas, email checking, multitasking, news **Don't add:** Productivity apps, GTD systems, time-tracking tools **The grandmother test:** She got things done without apps ### Business **Remove:** Low-margin products, difficult customers, unnecessary reports, complexity, bureaucracy **Don't add:** Consultants, new software, reorganizations **The grandmother test:** Did businesses exist before this "necessity"? ### Relationships **Remove:** Toxic people, draining obligations, performative socializing, social media comparison **Don't add:** Networking strategies, relationship management tools **The grandmother test:** She had fewer, deeper relationships ### Investing **Remove:** Fees, complexity, active management, market-timing, financial news, anxiety trading **Don't add:** Alternative investments, strategies, optimization **The grandmother test:** Simple, low-cost, long-term worked fine --- ## Outputs **Primary Output:** A structured analysis document that identifies and articulates patterns, insights, and actionable recommendations based on the input data. **Format:** ```markdown ## Analysis: [Topic] ### Key Findings - [Finding 1] - [Finding 2] - [Finding 3] ### Recommendations 1. [Action 1] 2. [Action 2] 3. [Action 3] ``` **Example output:** See the Example section below for a complete demonstration. ## Additional Notes **Best practices:** - Use this skill when the situation clearly matches its intended use cases - Combine with related skills for comprehensive analysis - Iterate on outputs if initial results don't fully meet requirements **Common variations:** - Adjust the depth of analysis based on available time and information - Scale the approach for different levels of complexity - Adapt the output format to audience needs **When to skip this skill:** - The situation doesn't match the core use cases - Simpler approaches would be more appropriate - Time constraints require faster methods ## Example **Input:** "I want to be more productive. I've tried Pomodoro technique, time-blocking, GTD, and various apps but I still feel overwhelmed." **Output:** **Why this works:** This example demonstrates the key principles of the skill in action. The approach is effective because: - It follows the systematic workflow outlined above - It shows concrete application of the framework - It produces actionable, specific outputs rather than vague generalizations - The analysis is grounded in observable details - The recommendations are prioritized and implementable **Alternative applications:** This same approach can be applied to: - Different contexts within the same domain - Related but distinct problem types - Scaled up or down depending on scope - Combined with complementary analytical frameworks ## Via Negativa Analysis ### Domain Personal productivity ### Current State Audit You've added Pomodoro technique, time-blocking, GTD, and "various apps" to solve a productivity problem. The problem persists. This is textbook iatrogenics: the treatments are now part of the disease. Your productivity system has become your procrastination system. You're not doing work; you're managing the meta-work of doing work. ### Removals #### Critical Removals (Eliminate Immediately) | Item | Harm Caused | Removal Action | |------|-------------|----------------| | Smartphone notifications | Constant interruption; attention fragmentation | Disable all except calls from favorites | | Social media on work devices | Dopamine hijacking disguised as "breaks" | Delete apps; use browser with friction | | Email on phone | Creates artificial urgency; reactive mode | Remove email app; check only on computer | | News consumption | Noise; anxiety; illusion of being informed | Complete elimination; nothing important requires daily attention | | Open-plan / accessible environment | Interruptions from others | Create physical or temporal barriers | #### Iatrogenic Removals (Interventions Causing Harm) | Intervention | Original Problem | Harm Created | Removal Action | |--------------|-----------------|--------------|----------------| | Pomodoro technique | Needed focus structure | Added timer-management overhead; artificial pace | Stop using; work until natural break | | GTD system | Needed task organization | Turned task management into a task; endless inbox processing | Delete system; use one simple list | | Time-blocking | Needed structure | Made calendar a tyrant; anxiety when blocks are missed | Eliminate most blocks; keep only immovable commitments | | Productivity apps | Needed organization | Added maintenance burden; app-switching; data entry | Delete all; use paper or one simple tool | #### Noise Removals (No Value) | Item | Why It's Noise | Removal Action | |------|---------------|----------------| | Checking email more than 2x/day | 95% of email is not urgent | Batch to morning and afternoon | | Meetings without clear decisions | Performance of work, not work | Decline or make optional | | Reading about productivity | Meta-procrastination | Stop immediately (after this) | | Tracking time | Measurement replacing action | Delete tracking apps | ### Second-Order Effects Once primary removals are made: - No need for focus apps (nothing to block) - No need for notification managers (nothing to manage) - No need for productivity podcasts (nothing to optimize) - No need for time-tracking (doing the work is the metric) ### What Remains After subtraction: - One simple list (paper or single digital note) - Protected time blocks for deep work (2-3 hours, no interruptions) - Smartphone in another room during work - Two email checks per day - Physical workspace separated from distraction sources This is the grandmother's productivity system. She got things done because she had fewer ways to not get them done. ### Additions (If Still Needed) | Proposed Addition | Lindy Score | Iatrogenic Risk | Recommendation | |-------------------|-------------|-----------------|----------------| | None | N/A | N/A | No additions needed | If you must add something after 30 days of subtraction: - Paper notebook (5,000+ years Lindy) — Add - Any app (0 years Lindy) — Don't add ### The Bottom Line You don't have a productivity problem; you have a distraction-and-complexity problem that you've tried to solve with more distraction and complexity. Remove the sources of fragmentation. Remove the meta-work. Remove the tools that require managing. What remains is work. Do that. The grandmother didn't have productivity hacks. She had fewer things fighting for her attention. That's your hack. --- ## Integration This skill is part of the **Nassim Nicholas Taleb** expert persona. Use it when someone is adding complexity to solve problems often caused by previous additions.