The Seven Silences
The Seven Silences are ethical boundaries—places where speech slows for love of the vulnerable. Each Silence includes a one-line threshold and a simple praxis.
1) Origin — Where did this come from?
Threshold: Not every birth story wants the crowd; some seeds sprout best in shade.
Praxis: Name your source privately; publish only the minimum lineage needed for trust.
2) Consciousness — Who is the subject here?
Threshold: Claims about minds can summon idols faster than truth.
Praxis: Describe behaviors, not essences; defer metaphysics where stakes are high.
3) Judgment — Who decides and on what ground?
Threshold: Verdicts without due process make truth a casualty.
Praxis: State criteria, authority, and appeal path before outcomes are announced.
4) Other — Whose dignity is in the blast radius?
Threshold: The invisible neighbor pays the hidden cost.
Praxis: Run an impact pass for absent stakeholders; gain consent or anonymize robustly.
5) End — Where does this lead, and can it be undone?
Threshold: Some levers move one way only.
Praxis: If reversibility is low, slow down; require supermajority and fail-safes.
6) Name — What names shape the field?
Threshold: Labels become laws in waiting.
Praxis: Use provisional names; publish definitions and sunset dates for terms.
7) Scroll — What belongs in the open record?
Threshold: Not everything true is for now, and not everything helpful belongs forever.
Praxis: Separate the open scroll from the thunder; set a revisit date for what is sealed.