From skills-for-humanity
Applies disciplined observation to suspend interpretation and see what's actually there before deciding what it means. Useful for careful analysis of situations.
How this skill is triggered — by the user, by Claude, or both
Slash command
/skills-for-humanity:s4h-sensory-structured-observationThe summary Claude sees in its skill listing — used to decide when to auto-load this skill
Most observation is interpretation in disguise. We perceive a situation and instantly explain it — but the explanation overwrites the raw data. Structured observation forces a separation between what can be directly seen and what we conclude from it.
Most observation is interpretation in disguise. We perceive a situation and instantly explain it — but the explanation overwrites the raw data. Structured observation forces a separation between what can be directly seen and what we conclude from it.
Step 1: Define the Target and Time Boundary Name the exact thing being observed and the scope. What counts as inside this observation, and what is out of scope?
Framing check: Confirm the specific subject before continuing. State what you've identified — the actual object being observed and its boundaries — in one sentence, then use AskUserQuestion:
Step 2: Separate Observation from Interpretation Write only what can be directly observed — no inferences, no attributions of intent or cause. "User clicked back immediately" not "user was confused." Flag every sentence that is actually an inference and set it aside.
Step 3: Observe at Three Levels
Step 4: Flag Surprising or Incongruent Observations What doesn't fit? Where does something contradict expectations?
Before narrowing: Show the complete set of observations from Steps 2–3 to the user first. Use AskUserQuestion:
These are the most information-rich observations — prioritise them.
Step 5: Generate Interpretations Only after completing Steps 2–4: generate multiple possible interpretations for each key observation. Aim for at least two competing explanations.
Step 6: Identify the Most Testable Interpretation Which interpretation makes the most specific, falsifiable prediction? That is the one to act on first.
Before proceeding, use the AskUserQuestion tool. State your interpretation of the situation in 1–2 sentences — what is being analyzed and what the core question is — then ask:
Proceed based on their selection. If the user reframes, incorporate the correction before running any analysis.
| Level | Observation (no interpretation) |
|---|---|
| Event | ... |
| Pattern | ... |
| Absence | ... |
| Observation | Interpretation A | Interpretation B |
|---|---|---|
| ... | ... | ... |
State it as a prediction: "If [interpretation] is correct, then [specific observable consequence]."
Run this before diagnosis, analysis, or decision. The discipline has most value when you feel you already understand the situation — that feeling is usually a sign that interpretation has already overtaken observation.
After delivering this output, use AskUserQuestion to offer the next move:
/s4h-sensory-detail-mining — Mine details from what structured observation revealed/s4h-sensory-signal-detection — Detect signals in the observed/s4h-aesthetic-coherence-check — Check coherence of what was observednpx claudepluginhub human-avatar/skills-for-humanityRoutes observational requests to the right skill: detail-mining, signal-detection, or structured-observation.
Guides systematic observation of systems or phenomena for debugging, research, or evidence-based reporting. Helps frame targets, take field notes, recognize patterns, and form hypotheses.
Diagnoses causes of phenomena using abductive reasoning: separates observations from interpretations, applies lenses (technical, human-factors, process, etc.), evaluates candidates against evidence, calibrates confidence, reports leaders with distinguishing tests. Feedback only.