Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Self-Liberation from Expectations agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The self-liberation skill is a reusable instruction set for an AI agent, built on a framework from Naval Ravikant's book The Almanack of Naval Ravikant. When you ask about feeling crushed by other people's expectations, frequent anger, or being stuck in a job, the agent answers using that framework. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to trigger it, and where it should not be used.
Self-Liberation from Expectationskangarooking/cangjie-skill · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download the ZIP. Download the self-liberation ZIP file from this page.
- 2Unzip into a skills folder. Unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use, or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder for a single project.
- 3Or upload it in the Claude apps. If you use the Claude apps, go to Settings → Capabilities → Skills and upload the skill there.
- 4Describe your situation. Ask in plain language about expectations, anger, saying no or feeling stuck, rather than using a special command.
- 5List your shoulds. Label each obligation as a commitment you must keep or an expectation that is other people's problem.
- 6Check your buffer if work is the issue. Compare your spending with your income before deciding to say no to a job or quit.
What does the self-liberation skill make the agent do?
The skill makes the agent respond to pressure from other people with a structured framework. Its core idea is that an expectation is other people's problem, while a real commitment such as a contract, debt or promise is yours and should be kept.
The source also frames freedom as freedom from being forced to react, not only freedom to do what you want. It treats anger as a self-inflicted cost and links job freedom to keeping your living costs below your income.
- Separate expectations (other people's problem) from commitments (contracts, debts, promises, which you should keep).
- List your 'shoulds' and label each one as a commitment or an expectation.
- Try saying no to one pure expectation, or simply stop pleasing someone for it.
- Pause when angry and ask what you are angry about and whether it is worth the mental and physical cost.
- Check whether your spending is low enough to give you room to refuse.
How do you install the self-liberation skill?
Download the ZIP file from this page. Then unzip it into one of two locations: your personal skills folder at ~/.claude/skills/, or a project's .claude/skills/ folder if you want the skill available only inside that project.
If you use the Claude apps instead of a folder, you can upload the skill under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal use across projects: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/.
- Project-only use: unzip into the .claude/skills/ folder inside that project.
- Claude apps: upload through Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
~/.claude/skills/How do you trigger the skill with natural requests?
You do not need to type a special command. Describe your situation in ordinary language. The skill's triggers cover feeling overwhelmed by expectations, getting angry easily, feeling trapped by work or responsibility, and asking how to say no, how not to get angry, or how to be freer.
The skill also responds to English phrases such as expectations, anger, freedom, how to say no and people-pleasing. Its trigger list is written in Chinese, so Chinese requests may match more reliably, though the source does not state this explicitly.
- My family keeps pressuring me to get married. How do I handle it?
- I get angry at small things and it is ruining my days. What should I do?
- I always agree to things I don't want to do. How do I say no without upsetting people?
- I feel stuck in my job and can't afford to quit. Where do I start?
What steps does the skill walk you through?
The skill's practical method has four steps. Each one has a clear completion check, so you can tell when you have finished it.
Step 2 includes a stop condition: if the matter involves a real contract, debt or promise, honour that obligation first and only then talk about freedom. Step 4 asks you to calculate your spending-to-income ratio and, if it is close to 1:1, to build a three-month plan to reduce spending.
- Split expectations from commitments by listing every 'should' and labelling it.
- Make one expectation-clearing move: tell the person it is their expectation, not your commitment, or stop accommodating it.
- Anger check: when anger comes up, pause and write down what you are angry about and whether it is worth the cost to you.
- Financial buffer check: compare spending with income and, if the ratio is near 1:1, plan to cut costs over three months.
What are good examples of using the skill?
The source includes two cases from the book. In the first, the author stopped treating anger as a source of strength and removed angry people from his life. In the second, he argues that living well below your income gives you the freedom to say no, because a financial buffer gives you room to refuse.
Here is how the skill applies to everyday situations, based on its own triggers and tests.
- Family pressure: sorting a parent's expectations about marriage from any real commitments you have made.
- Recurring anger: writing down what you are angry about before reacting, and asking whether it is worth the cost.
- People-pleasing: choosing one pure expectation to decline and noticing how you feel afterwards.
- A job you want to leave: first measuring your spending buffer, then planning, rather than quitting straight away.
What does the skill need, and what are its safety limits?
The skill lists no requirements. It does not run scripts and does not use the network, according to its listing. It is a set of written instructions the agent follows.
The skill is not suitable for real contracts, debts or promises. It warns that treating these as mere expectations could cause harm. It is also not suitable for people who cannot afford to lose their job, since the skill itself notes that saying no without a financial buffer may lead to dismissal. Serious anger, abuse or mental health crises need professional support rather than a book-based framework.
- Requirements: none listed.
- Runs scripts: no.
- Uses network: no.
- Do not use it to dodge contracts, debts or promises.
- Do not treat it as a substitute for professional help in abuse or mental health crises.
What tips help you get the most from it?
Be specific in your request. Name the situation, the people involved and what you are unsure about, so the agent can apply the commitment-versus-expectation split to your case.
Use it as a reflection routine rather than a one-off fix. The skill's own tests show a mix of triggers and edge cases, including a case where the agent works out the financial buffer before discussing quitting a job.
- Give concrete details about your obligations before asking about freedom.
- Treat the advice as one framework, and check it against your own circumstances.
- Pair it with related skills if you need them: happiness-skill, identity-work and honesty-communication are listed as composing well with it.
- Use honesty-communication for how to say things, and this skill for where your boundaries are.
What people use it for
- Sorting family or social expectations from real commitments before a difficult conversation.
- Creating a reflection routine for recurring anger by pausing and questioning what triggers it.
- Practising saying no to one non-essential request at a time.
- Planning a financial buffer before making a career decision.
Frequently asked questions
Is the self-liberation agent skill free?
The source gives a licence of MIT, which is a permissive open-source licence. The listing does not mention any price, so the download appears to be available without a charge stated in the source.
Do I need to install anything else to use it?
The skill lists no requirements, does not run scripts and does not use the network. You download the ZIP, unzip it into the right folder or upload it, and then ask your question.
Where do I put the skill folder?
For personal use, unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, unzip it into that project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Can this skill help me if I have a real debt or contract?
The skill says to honour real contracts, debts and promises. Its method is to fulfil those obligations first and only then discuss freedom from expectations. It should not be used to justify breaking agreements.
Is this a good alternative to professional help for anger?
No. The skill is based on a book and is not suitable for serious anger, abuse or mental health crises. Those situations need professional support.
How does it compare with honesty-communication?
The skill sets external boundaries and decides what you should and should not accept. The honesty-communication skill covers how to express that clearly and truthfully. The two are listed as composing well together.
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Our verdict
This skill suits people who feel pressured by family, bosses or social expectations, struggle to say no, or want a structured reflection routine for anger, and who have read or are interested in Naval's ideas. It is a poor fit for anyone facing real contracts, debts or promises, anyone who cannot afford to lose their job, or anyone dealing with serious anger, abuse or mental health problems, who should choose a professional instead.
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