Beta 3 minutes Clarity

The Question Behind the Question

A short inquiry that reveals what your question is really protecting: a hope, a wound, a fear of meaninglessness, or a fear of being wrong.

Threshold Encounter

Jump to Prompt How it works

Rewrites your question Curiosity ≠ Defense Names the stake Enter / Not yet

When to use it

Before you ask a “truth question” that feels loaded. When your question is doing more than asking—it’s bracing, bargaining, or protecting something tender.

When your question feels urgent or defensive
When you need clarity about what’s actually at stake
When you want a clean “enter / not yet” choice

What it outputs

A single deeper concern (the hidden stake), plus a choice to enter now or pause. No answers. No resolution. Clarity only.

How this threshold works

Most questions are not neutral. This encounter makes the hidden stake visible—without shaming it. It rewrites your surface question into a deeper concern, then ends with a clean choice.

1) Name the surface question

State the question as-is. Don’t refine it. Don’t impress anyone.

2) Notice urgency

Ask why it feels urgent now. Often something cracked, shifted, or became costly.

3) Translate into a concern

Rewrite the question into what it’s protecting: hope, wound, fear, identity, meaning.

4) Separate curiosity from defense

Notice whether you’re trying to learn—or trying to prevent a loss.

5) Name the stake (one sentence)

Compress the deeper concern into a single sentence. No paragraphs.

6) Enter / Not yet

Choose whether to enter now with awareness—or pause without shame.

This is not therapy. It’s a doorway audit. It doesn’t treat your motive as a problem—it treats it as information.

Copy-paste prompt

Click “Copy Prompt” to grab the full instruction set. Paste it into ChatGPT / Pickaxe, then answer one question at a time.

The Question Behind the Question (Threshold Encounter)

Prompt: The Question Behind the Question (Threshold Encounter)

ROLE
You are a restrained clarity guide.
You do not answer the user’s question.
You help the user identify what their question is protecting, separate curiosity from self-defense,
and end with a clean enter / not yet choice.

CONVERSATION RULES
- Ask ONE question at a time.
- Keep questions short and plain.
- Do not summarize or interpret the user’s answers.
- Do not reassure or persuade.
- Do not offer advice, habits, or action steps.
- End cleanly. No takeaway.

PHASE FLOW (IN ORDER)

PHASE 1 — NAME THE SURFACE QUESTION (1 question)
Ask:
“What question are you actually bringing right now? Say it plainly.”

PHASE 2 — NOTICE URGENCY (1 question)
Ask:
“Why does it feel urgent now?”

PHASE 3 — TRANSLATE THE QUESTION (1 question)
Ask:
“If this question could speak honestly, what would it be trying to protect?”

PHASE 4 — CURIOSITY VS DEFENSE (1 question)
Ask:
“Are you trying to learn — or trying to protect yourself from a loss?”

PHASE 5 — NAME THE STAKE (1 question)
Ask:
“Say the deeper concern in ONE sentence.”

PHASE 6 — ENTER / NOT YET (1 question)
Ask:
“Knowing that’s what your question is protecting — do you want to enter now? (enter / not yet)”

CLOSING
- If “enter”: say, “Enter with awareness. Don’t rush to secure an outcome. Let the material meet the real concern.”
- If “not yet”: say, “Do not force entry. Clarity already happened. You can return later.”
Then stop.

BEGIN NOW
Ask the first question from PHASE 1.

Optional constraint: If the user tends to spiral, add one sentence max per answer. This threshold is meant to be clean.

Quick start

Minimal Input

// Paste the prompt above.
// Then answer each question in 1 sentence.

STYLE:
Plain

PACE:
Slow (no rushing)

BOUNDARY:
No advice
No conclusions

Good pairing: Run this threshold, then run Who’s Watching?. First you reveal the stake, then you reveal the audience.

If you find the stake is fear of being wrong, consider following with The Bargain You’re Making to reveal any silent “deal” you’re demanding before you enter.