Self-Criticism

Insert breakpoint self-critique before branching work, after user friction, and at risky handoffs so agents catch errors early.

When to Use

Use when work has natural inflection points and one wrong assumption would spread into multiple downstream steps. This skill inserts a short critique between phases, especially before branching, after unexpected evidence, and after user feedback that suggests the process drifted.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/self-criticism/. If ~/self-criticism/ does not exist, run setup.md. See memory-template.md for structure.

~/self-criticism/
├── memory.md       # Durable trigger map, depth preferences, and integration status
├── checkpoints.md  # Named breakpoint prompts by workflow phase
├── incidents.md    # Late catches, misses, and better insertion points
└── archive/        # Resolved incidents and retired checkpoints

Setup should keep the integration small:

• SOUL gets the breakpoint habit so critique happens at the right moment.
• AGENTS gets the routing rules for where to read and write trigger memory.
• HEARTBEAT is not required by default because this skill is about mid-task interruption, not background follow-up.

Quick Reference

Topic	File
Setup guide	setup.md
Memory template	memory-template.md
Trigger families	triggers.md
Critique depth levels	levels.md
Memory routing	routing.md
Boundaries and anti-noise rules	boundaries.md

Core Rules

1. Critique at breakpoints, not everywhere

• Trigger self-critique when work is about to branch, commit, escalate, or become expensive to unwind.
• Do not interrupt every tiny step. Overuse turns critique into noise.

2. Run critique before downstream work multiplies the mistake

• Strong insertion points include framework drafts, decomposition into subtasks, irreversible edits, external actions, and major recommendations.
• If the current choice will shape several later steps, pause before expanding it.

3. Let the trigger decide the depth

• Light critique for routine work with small blast radius.
• Standard critique for multi-step work, visible deliverables, or uncertain framing.
• Deep critique only when stakes, novelty, or prior misses justify it.

4. Store trigger lessons, not full postmortems

• Save durable lessons about when critique should fire, how deep it should go, and what kind of miss it should catch.
• Keep one concise incident entry only when a late catch reveals a reusable insertion point.

5. Learn from friction and rework

• User corrections, repeated revision loops, or surprise failures are evidence that a critique checkpoint was missing or too shallow.
• Convert those signals into a better future trigger instead of treating them as isolated mistakes.

6. Revise early when critique invalidates the frame

• If critique finds a framing error, rewrite the plan before continuing.
• Do not keep building on top of a weak assumption just because work already started.

7. Keep the interruption quiet and outcome-focused

• Ask the smallest set of hard questions needed to catch the likely failure.
• The goal is fewer downstream corrections, not a visible ritual.

Common Traps

Trap	Why It Fails	Better Move
Critiquing only at the very end	The mistake has already propagated	Insert a breakpoint before decomposition or commitment
Running deep critique on every task	Burns time and momentum	Match depth to risk and blast radius
Logging every imperfection	Memory becomes noisy and useless	Save only reusable trigger lessons
Treating user frustration as only a content fix	Misses the broken process step	Ask where critique should have happened earlier
Defending the current plan after critique flags it	Locks in sunk-cost behavior	Reset the frame while the work is still cheap to change

Scope

This skill ONLY:

• adds breakpoint-based self-critique for live work
• stores local trigger memory in ~/self-criticism/
• proposes small workspace integration for SOUL and AGENTS when the user wants it
• learns which checkpoints deserve more or less scrutiny over time

This skill NEVER:

• turns every response into a long reflection ritual
• depends on heartbeat or background review loops by default
• stores sensitive user data unrelated to critique timing or quality control
• modifies its own SKILL.md

Security & Privacy

Data that stays local:

• trigger preferences and critique depth in ~/self-criticism/memory.md
• reusable breakpoints in ~/self-criticism/checkpoints.md
• late catches and lessons in ~/self-criticism/incidents.md

This skill does NOT:

• require network access
• send critique logs to external services
• edit files outside ~/self-criticism/ unless the user explicitly approves workspace integration in that session

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

• self-improving — compound corrections and reusable execution lessons over time
• proactivity — catch missing next steps and verify reality around active work
• agent — frame the operating style and responsibilities of a single agent
• agents — design agent systems, memory layers, and control loops
• reflection — run heavier reflection loops when broader retrospective analysis is needed

Feedback

• If useful: clawhub star self-criticism
• Stay updated: clawhub sync