Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Big Decision Heuristics agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
Decision-heuristics is an agent skill, a folder of instructions that an AI agent loads when a task matches its description. This one gives the agent three rules from Naval Ravikant's book for major, long-lasting choices such as changing jobs, buying a home, moving city, partnering or getting married. After following this guide you will know what the skill changes about the agent's behaviour, how to install it, how to phrase a request so it activates, and where it should not be used.
Big Decision Heuristicskangarooking/cangjie-skill · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Get the decision-heuristics ZIP from the skill's page in this directory.
- 2Unzip into the right folder. Unzip into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 3Or upload it in the app. In the Claude apps, open Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the ZIP.
- 4Check the files. Confirm the folder holds SKILL.md, test-prompts.json and test-results.md.
- 5Describe a major choice. Ask in plain language about a big decision, such as a job change or a move, and say what the options are.
- 6Apply the rules. Let the agent apply the default-no rule, the three-decisions rule or the short-term-pain rule, and drop any option that is clearly worse.
What an agent skill is and what this one changes
An agent skill is a set of instructions and supporting files that a compatible agent can read and apply when a request matches the skill's description. You do not run the skill yourself. The agent decides to use it based on what you ask.
This skill is built from one passage in the book's first chapter on wealth. It makes the agent apply three rules when you are stuck on a big decision: when you cannot decide, answer no; three major decisions (where you live, who you are with, what you do) deserve one to two years of careful thought; and when two options are truly equal, choose the one that is more painful in the short term.
- Default to "no" unless you are very sure. Making a pros-and-cons spreadsheet is treated as a sign you are not yet sure.
- Treat a choice that locks you in for years (the source gives examples such as a startup for ten years or a relationship for over five years) as worth serious time.
- If one option is clearly worse, drop it instead of applying the heuristic.
Install the decision-heuristics skill
Download the ZIP file from the skill's page in this directory. Then choose one of the two install routes below.
For a personal skill, unzip the folder into ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, unzip it into the project's .claude/skills/ folder. Alternatively, in the Claude apps, go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the ZIP there.
- Personal install: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- App install: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP
Check the skill is in place
The unzipped folder should contain three files: SKILL.md, test-prompts.json and test-results.md. SKILL.md holds the instructions the agent reads. The other two are the test prompts and the recorded test results that came with the skill.
You can confirm the skill is active by asking a question that matches the triggers below and seeing whether the agent works through the three rules.
- SKILL.md: the instructions the agent loads
- test-prompts.json: the prompts used for testing
- test-results.md: the recorded test outcomes
How to trigger it with natural requests
You do not need a special command. Describe a major choice you are stuck on in plain language. The skill's description lists Chinese and English trigger words, including 纠结, 拿不定主意, 要不要, 该不该, 利弊, decision, hesitate and should I. In English, phrases such as "should I", "can't decide" and "pros and cons" match the same situations.
Say what the decision is, what the options are, and that it is a big one. That gives the agent enough context to tell a major choice from a minor one.
- "I've listed ten pros and cons for taking the job in another city and still can't decide. Should I take it?"
- "Should I buy this flat or keep renting? It would tie me down for about ten years."
- "I keep saying yes to projects. How do I learn to turn down an offer that's just okay?"
Where it helps and where it does not
The skill is meant for big, long-lasting choices. The source says it is not for everyday decisions such as what to eat or wear, because the rules would add needless friction. It is also not for information lookups.
The author's own blind spot matters too. A default of "no" suits someone with plenty of opportunities. If opportunities are scarce and a chance comes only once, the default could make you miss it. The source also notes that short-term pain is not always the right signal, since some pain is purely harmful. Rule out clearly damaging options first.
- Do not use it for daily trivia such as dinner or clothing.
- Do not use it when the choice is already settled and you only need to act.
- Do not use it to choose between options when one is clearly worse.
- Be careful when opportunities are rare and time-limited.
Safety notes: scripts and network access
According to the skill's listing, it runs no scripts and uses no network access. It requires nothing else to be installed. It consists of instruction text and test files.
Read SKILL.md before you install any skill, as you would with any instructions an agent will follow. The skill is licensed under MIT, as listed on this page.
- Runs scripts: no
- Uses network: no
- Requirements listed: none
What people use it for
- Deciding whether to change jobs after a long pros-and-cons list failed to settle it.
- Testing whether a home purchase or a move to another city is worth committing to for years.
- Learning to refuse opportunities that are merely acceptable so time goes to the important ones.
- Choosing between two genuinely equal options by picking the one that is harder in the short term.
- Studying how a book's decision principles can be turned into an agent's behaviour.
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the decision-heuristics skill?
Download the ZIP from this page. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps you can instead upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Does the decision-heuristics skill need anything else installed?
The listing says it requires nothing. It runs no scripts and uses no network access.
Is decision-heuristics free to use?
The skill is listed under the MIT licence. Check the licence file in the source repository for the exact terms before you reuse or modify it.
What should I type to make the skill activate?
Describe a major decision in plain language and say you are stuck, for example "should I take this job?" or "I have a pros and cons list and still can't decide". Trigger words include 纠结, 拿不定主意, 利弊, decision and should I.
Why won't the skill help me pick what to eat?
It is designed for major, long-lasting choices. The source says its rules would add needless friction to everyday decisions like meals or clothing.
Are there alternatives or related skills?
Yes. The listing names judgment-training, which builds the underlying judgment, and hourly-rate-time, which adds a time-value measure. For situations you cannot change, it points to acceptance, which is the contrasting skill.
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Our verdict
Use this skill if you have a major life choice that a pros-and-cons list has not settled, or if you keep saying yes to too much. Pick something else for everyday decisions, for choices where one option is clearly worse, or when opportunities are scarce and a default of no could cost you a once-only chance. The included test results were self-checked rather than blind-tested, so treat them as a rough guide.
Download the skill