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Answer Patterns
I sort answers along four dimensions, which helps me notice what an answer is doing before I decide what it is worth.
- Truth value. Yes affirms, No denies, Don’t know admits uncertainty, and Maybe introduces conditions.
- Form. Short answers are direct; long answers justify or explore, and they usually carry nuance or uncertainty with them.
- Intent. An answer can inform, persuade, entertain, or take responsibility for its accuracy and consequences, and it often combines two of these.
- Certainty. High aligns with a clean Yes or No, medium adds qualifiers, low sits with Don’t know or speculation.
The useful move is to read the intent first. “You should definitely try this” is a short, persuasive Yes with medium certainty, and knowing that tells me how much weight to give it.