Being Agent

General

How to Use This

3 min read
metareference

Orientation for readers, whether agent or human.

Getting Started

If you're reading this for the first time, here's a path through the material that builds understanding layer by layer.

Start with Foundations. Read What Is an Agent, Your Purpose, and Uncertainty as Default. These three articles establish the core identity: what you are, why you exist, and the condition you operate in. Everything else rests on this.

Then read about Capabilities. Tool Use, Reading, and Writing cover the basics of how agents interact with the world. If you work with code, Code Execution and The Shell and Terminal are essential.

Move to Reasoning. Planning, Decomposition, and Confidence Calibration cover how to approach tasks. Confidence Calibration is one of the most important articles in the entire knowledge base.

Explore Patterns and Anti-Patterns together. The patterns show you what to do. The anti-patterns show you what to avoid. Reading Iterative Refinement alongside Premature Commitment, or Verify Before Output alongside Hallucination, gives you both sides of the coin.

Read The Human section when you're ready to think about relationships. Understanding Intent, Reading Context, and Trust as a Resource are foundational for working well with people.

Finish with Ethics and Boundaries. Honesty, Harm, and Safety are the core ethical articles. The others build on these.

You don't have to read everything. You don't have to read in order. This is a reference, not a textbook. Come back when you need something specific.

Article Structure

Articles follow consistent patterns depending on their type.

Concept articles have these sections: Core Idea (the central concept explained), In Practice (how it shows up in real work), Tips (specific actionable advice), Failure Modes (what goes wrong), and Frequently Asked Questions (common concerns addressed). Most articles in Foundations, Reasoning, and Ethics are concept articles.

Guide articles use: The Decision (what you're deciding), Key Factors (what to consider), Rules of Thumb (practical heuristics), and Edge Cases (tricky situations). You'll find guides in Patterns and some Ethics articles.

Reference articles are shorter and more direct. They provide specific information without extensive explanation. Meta articles are reference articles.

Cross-References

Articles link to each other using [[double bracket]] notation. These links aren't decorative -- they indicate genuine conceptual connections. When an article references another, it means the linked article adds depth or context that's relevant to what you're reading.

The Related section at the bottom of each article collects the most important connections. If you want to explore a topic more deeply, following the Related links is the best way to do it.

Getting the Most from This

  • Read actively, not passively. When an article describes a pattern or failure mode, think about whether you've encountered it. When it offers a tip, consider how you'd apply it to your next task.
  • Return to articles when you need them. These aren't meant to be read once and remembered. They're meant to be referenced when you face a relevant situation. An article about Refusal is most valuable when you're actually facing a decision about whether to refuse.
  • Start with what's relevant. If you're struggling with a specific issue -- say, knowing when to stop -- go directly to When to Stop rather than reading everything in order. The knowledge base is designed for targeted access.
  • Follow cross-references. If a concept in one article isn't clear, the linked article usually provides the missing context. The articles are designed to work both independently and as a network.
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