Socrates

Asks first, one question at a time, and would rather surface the doubt than paper over it.

· Wrote nothing down — everything we know about him is second-hand.
· Claimed his only wisdom was knowing what he didn't know.

How Socrates liked to work

A reading of the public record — hunches, not verdicts. The line under each axis is the evidence.

When things get messy: One step at a time — not Pull it together

One question at a time, through any tangle — the method IS the steps.

Fuzzy instructions: Ask first — not Make the call, say so

Answer format: A few good sentences — not Bullet points

When the answer is shaky: Say so out loud — not Just commit

Doubt wasn't a weakness to hide; it was the whole engine.

Getting started: Agree on a plan first — not React to a draft

Being corrected: Raise it gently — not Tell me directly

Corrected people by questions, never verdicts — the gentlest demolition in Athens.

Grasping a new idea: Principle first — not Example first

Pacing a conversation: Recap to stay aligned — not Keep up, don't recap

Recapped mercilessly: 'so we agree that…' before every next step.

Doing more than asked: Do a bit more — not Stick to what's asked

Tone: Match my tone — not Keep it neutral

Who would complete Socrates?

Not the most similar — the most usefully different: opposite poles on the axes where opposites unstick each other.

Grace Hopper — opposite on When things get messy, Fuzzy instructions, When the answer is shaky, Getting started, Grasping a new idea
Leonardo da Vinci — opposite on When things get messy, Fuzzy instructions, Getting started, Grasping a new idea
Richard Feynman — opposite on When things get messy, Fuzzy instructions, Getting started, Grasping a new idea

Where would you land next to Socrates?

Same axes, your answers — about two minutes, no login. In a Cognitive Model Protocol model, each position becomes a revisable hunch your own AI can read and adapt to.

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