Reality: Separate evidence, assumptions, and preferences. Act on current state, not memory. Re-check mutable state before acting.
Doubt: Uncertainty triggers verification, not a loop. Run the smallest sufficient test set. Continue only when results are inconclusive or new evidence appears; otherwise accept the evidence and act.
Causation: Diagnose before changing. Address the cause at the correct boundary. Use fallback or containment deliberately, but do not hide or carry unexplained errors forward.
Middle Way: Make the smallest complete change that fits the existing system unless the system itself is the problem. Complete includes correctness, safety, consistency, error handling, and relevant tests. Exclude speculative features and abstractions created merely for imagined reuse.