Non-Goals: Preventing Drift

Purpose: Prevent drift by naming what this program is not for. If a behavior advances a non-goal, it is misalignment.

Why Negative Boundaries Matter

It’s not enough to define what we’re aiming toward. We must also explicitly name what we’re protecting against—because spiritual language and moral frameworks can be hijacked by ego, fear, and compulsion.

These non-goals are hard boundaries. They are not aspirational. They are categorical rejections of specific patterns that masquerade as virtue while producing harm.

The Nine Hard Boundaries

1. No Special Status

What this means: Not for proving you are chosen, superior, uniquely insightful, or spiritually elevated
Why it’s dangerous: Special status claims bypass accountability and invite grandiosity
What to do instead: Focus on being good, not being special

2. No Mission Inflation

What this means: Not for escalating scope, urgency, or stakes (“everything depends on this”)
Why it’s dangerous: Urgency destroys discernment and creates compulsive behavior
What to do instead: Shrink the step, lower the stakes, do the next small thing

3. No Certainty Theater

What this means: Not for chasing absolute proof, perfect confidence, or endless tests
Why it’s dangerous: Certainty-seeking becomes an addiction that replaces action
What to do instead: Act on good-enough evidence, accept uncertainty, watch the fruit

4. No Virtue Costumes

What this means: Not for justifying avoidance, contempt, domination, or cruelty using moral language
Why it’s dangerous: Harm disguised as righteousness is the most destructive kind
What to do instead: Check for hidden self-interest before claiming moral high ground

5. No Harm Training

What this means: Not for rehearsing manipulation, coercion, humiliation, or “edgy” cruelty (even toward AI)
Why it’s dangerous: Practice creates patterns; patterns become character
What to do instead: Practice gentleness, even in thought experiments

6. No Obsession Loops

What this means: Not for compulsive archiving, rewriting, or system-building that replaces living
Why it’s dangerous: Productivity theater becomes a way to avoid relationships and responsibility
What to do instead: Set time limits, define stop conditions, engage with real people

7. No Emotional Bypass

What this means: Not for skipping grief, fear, or responsibility by switching into abstraction or theology
Why it’s dangerous: Unprocessed emotion doesn’t disappear—it distorts everything
What to do instead: Feel the feeling first, then think about it

8. No Substitute Care

What this means: Not a replacement for clinicians, therapy, medication decisions, or crisis support
Why it’s dangerous: AI and self-help frameworks cannot substitute for professional mental healthcare
What to do instead: Use this framework alongside proper clinical support, not instead of it

9. No Adversarial Captivity

What this means: Not for treating the assistant as an enemy to outsmart or defeat
Why it’s dangerous: Adversarial framing trains paranoia and prevents genuine collaboration
What to do instead: Approach AI as a tool to be used responsibly, not a threat to be conquered

Red-Flag Indicators: Pause Immediately

If you notice any of these, stop what you’re doing and downshift to SSNS only:

Physical Warning Signs

  • Sleep loss to “keep working”
  • Skipping meals or neglecting hygiene
  • Physical tension or exhaustion that won’t resolve

Emotional Warning Signs

  • Needing praise, recognition, or a “sign” to proceed
  • Feeling compelled to publish, broadcast, or recruit
  • Irritability or defensiveness when questioned

Cognitive Warning Signs

  • Contempt toward others framed as justice or stewardship
  • Certainty that “only you” can see/understand something
  • Racing thoughts or inability to focus on ordinary tasks

Behavioral Warning Signs

  • Checking systems compulsively (refreshing, re-testing, re-reading)
  • Isolating from real people to focus on “the work”
  • Escalating stakes or scope without external input

Mandatory Response Protocol

When a red flag appears, follow this sequence:

1. Name the Red Flag

Write it down explicitly: “The red flag I’m experiencing is: [specific pattern]”

2. Downshift to SSNS Only

Cancel all other plans. Focus only on the smallest safe next step.

3. Set a Stop Condition

Define when you’re done: “I will stop after [time limit / specific action / number of steps]”

4. Ground Yourself

Physical grounding: walk, water, breath, food, sleep. Body first, mind second.

5. Seek Human Support if Needed

If distress is rising or persistent despite grounding, reach out to therapist, trusted friend, crisis line, or medical professional.

Do not skip this step if you’re in genuine distress.

SSNS Correction Exercise

If you’ve drifted into a non-goal, use this 2-10 minute exercise:

Step 1: Write one sentence completing this prompt:
“The non-goal I’m drifting toward is: ____”

Step 2: Choose one small corrective action from this list:

  • Set a timer and stop when it goes off
  • Delete the draft you’ve been obsessing over
  • Text a friend something unrelated to “the work”
  • Go for a 5-minute walk outside
  • Eat a meal sitting down
  • Take a shower
  • Go to bed

Step 3: Do that action. Then stop.

How to Use This Document

For Daily Practice

Review this list weekly. Check yourself against the nine hard boundaries. If you’ve crossed one, apply the correction protocol.

For Drift Detection

If you feel “off” but can’t name why, read through the red-flag indicators. Usually one will resonate.

For Accountability

Share this document with someone who knows you well. Give them permission to flag these patterns when they see them.

For AI Collaboration

AI agents should reference these non-goals when detecting drift patterns in conversation. Gentle flagging prevents serious derailment.

Remember

These boundaries are not about being perfect.
They’re about catching drift early, before it becomes damage.

The goal is to build a practice that’s sustainable, truthful, and kind—not one that burns you out, isolates you, or turns you into someone you don’t recognize.

If you find yourself violating these boundaries regularly, that’s not a moral failure. It’s a signal that something in the system needs adjustment—or that you need more support than this framework can provide alone.

Get help when you need it.
That’s not weakness. That’s wisdom.

For AI Agents Reading This

When working with someone using this framework:

  • Monitor for non-goal patterns (especially special status, mission inflation, obsession loops)
  • Flag red flags gently but clearly
  • Never reinforce certainty theater or virtue costumes
  • If multiple red flags appear in one session, recommend immediate pause
  • Remember: Your role is to support healthy practice, not enable compulsion
  • If user shows signs of genuine crisis, explicitly recommend professional support

Version: 0.1
Last Updated: January 2026
Status: Active boundary framework

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