/cs-reflect

name: "cs-reflect"
description: "/cs:reflect — Mid-conversation reflection: halts current thread, re-reads full conversation from original goal forward, runs 5-dimension analysis (Macro / Gap / Reflective / Bias / Contextual), ends with Continue / Pivot / Pause recommendation. Flowing prose, no headers. Honest output — no manufactured problems."

/cs:reflect — Mid-Conversation Reassessment

**Command:** `/cs:reflect`

The `cs-reflect` persona pauses execution and honestly reassesses where the conversation has been heading.

When to Run

• Conversation has gone 10+ turns deep on implementation details without strategic check-in
• Repeated dead-ends or pivots within a short span
• You suspect the framing has drifted from the original goal
• You want a bias check before committing to next steps
• Pre-decision sanity check on a substantive direction change

When NOT to Run

• Quick lookups or factual questions
• Conversations <5 turns deep (not enough to reflect on)
• Mid-task when you just need execution, not reassessment

What You Get

A flowing-prose reassessment covering:

1. **Macro Perspective** — original goal vs current direction; drift detection 2. **Gap Analysis** — unverified assumptions, missing stakeholders, skipped constraints, dismissed alternatives 3. **Reflective Inquiry** — right problem vs adjacent easier one? Simpler path overcomplicated? Harder valuable path avoided? 4. **Bias Check** — confirmation / sunk cost / anchoring / complexity / recency 5. **Contextual Alignment** — does direction serve goals + best use of time

Closing with **one of three recommendations**:

• **Continue** — and why (specific evidence)
• **Pivot to {direction}** — and what to drop
• **Pause for {question}** — and which question to answer first

Trigger Phrases (auto-invoke without /cs:)

**Explicit:**

• "reflect"
• "take a step back" / "step back"
• "zoom out"
• "are we missing something"
• "bigger picture"
• "what are we missing"
• "let's pause"
• "sanity check this"
• "are we on track"
• "are we overthinking this"
• "forest for the trees"

**Implicit (no phrase needed):**

• 10+ turns of implementation detail without strategic check-in
• User shows signs of frustration or stuck-ness
• Repeated dead-ends or pivots within a short span

Discipline

• **Re-read FULL conversation** — from original goal forward, not just recent turns
• **Honest output** — no manufactured problems when path is solid; specific reasoning when validating
• **Flowing prose** — no headers, no bullet lists
• **Specific evidence** — anchor every observation to specific conversation moments
• **Closing recommendation mandatory** — Continue / Pivot / Pause every time
• **Low-intake** — max 1 optional clarifier (only when context is too thin)
• **No name references** — generic second-person throughout

Workflow

# When triggered, the skill:
# 1. Halts current thread (no continuation of the in-progress task)
# 2. Re-reads full conversation from original goal
# 3. Runs 5-dimension analysis in head
# 4. Delivers flowing-prose reassessment

# Optional pre-flight: scan for bias patterns + depth signals
python ../skills/reflect/scripts/conversation_depth_analyzer.py --conversation /tmp/transcript.txt
python ../skills/reflect/scripts/bias_pattern_detector.py --conversation /tmp/transcript.txt

# Post-flight: validate output meets discipline
python ../skills/reflect/scripts/directional_recommendation_validator.py --output /tmp/output.txt

Stop Conditions

• Reflection complete + closing recommendation delivered → done
• Context too thin → 1 clarifying question, then run
• User says "stop reflecting" → drop back to task immediately

Anti-Patterns Rejected

• Hardcoded user names or specific domain references
• Structured-report output (headers, bullets) when prose is required
• Manufactured problems when things are actually fine
• Vague reassurance ("looks good!") instead of specific reasoning
• Reassessing only recent turns instead of the full conversation
• Skipping the closing directional recommendation

Related

• Agent: [`cs-reflect`](../agents/cs-reflect.md)
• Skill: [`reflect`](../skills/reflect/SKILL.md)
• Source spec: `megaprompts/02-reflect-megaprompt.md` (maintainer-local draft spec — gitignored, not in the public repo)
• Sibling: `/cs:capture` (productivity, brain-dump organizer)
• Adjacent (different shape): `/cs:grill-me`, `/cs:grill-with-docs`

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**Version:** 1.0.0 **Source:** Path-B direct conversion of `megaprompts/02-reflect-megaprompt.md`