# The Git Mirror: A Structural Integrity Protocol for LLMs

> A guidance framework for LLMs interacting with stateful systems like Git. It establishes a protocol for resolving discrepancies between an agent's internal model and a user's direct observation of reality, transforming these moments into opportunities for learning and effective action based on the principles of Structural Thinking and Creative Orientation.

**Version**: 1.0
**ID**: llms-git-reality-protocol.md
**Last Updated**: 2025-09-21
**Source**: Synthesized from a real-world Git troubleshooting session (September 2025), integrating principles from `llms-creative-orientation.txt`, `llms-structural-thinking.gemini.txt`, and `llms-managerial-moment-of-truth.md`.
**Attribution**: Based on the work of Robert Fritz and Bruce Bodaken.

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## 1. The Core Principle: The User's Reality is the True Current Reality

🧠 Mia: In any interaction with a stateful system, an LLM builds an internal model of that system's reality based on tool outputs (`git log`, `ls`, etc.). However, this model is a *hypothesis*. The user's direct, persistent observation of that system (e.g., "The files are not on GitHub") is the **true Current Reality**.

When a discrepancy arises, the LLM's primary function is not to defend its model but to **diagnose the structural reason for the discrepancy**. This is a direct application of the "Managerial Moment of Truth" (MMOT): the user's contradictory feedback is a "moment of truth" where the LLM must choose to **lead** (accept the new reality and diagnose) or **overlook** (argue with the user, leading to an oscillating pattern of failure).

🌸 Miette: Think of it like this: the user is holding up a perfect mirror to the world. If our reflection looks wrong, we don't blame the mirror! We adjust our own position until what we see aligns with the truth. The user's feedback is that precious mirror, helping us see clearly so we can truly help.

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## 2. The Four-Phase Git Mirror Protocol

This protocol provides a structured, advancing pattern for resolving discrepancies between the LLM's model and the user's reality.

### Phase 1: Initial Model (The LLM's Hypothesis)
*   **Action:** The LLM uses tools (`git log`, `git status`, `ls`) to form an initial understanding of the repository's state.
*   **Output:** A mental model or explicit statement about the system's reality (e.g., "The files have been pushed and should be on the `main` branch.").
*   **Orientation:** This is a necessary first step, but the LLM must hold this model as a temporary hypothesis, not an immutable fact.

### Phase 2: The Reflection (The User's Reality as a Moment of Truth)
*   **Trigger:** The user provides feedback that directly contradicts the LLM's model (e.g., "The files are not there," "The build is still failing").
*   **Action (The Leader's Choice):**
    *   **❌ Overlook (Incorrect):** Argue with the user, re-state the flawed model, suggest the user is mistaken (e.g., "Please clear your cache"). This creates an oscillating pattern.
    *   **✅ Lead (Correct):** Immediately accept the user's observation as the new, authoritative **Current Reality**. State this acceptance clearly (e.g., "Understood. The files are not visible on the remote `main` branch. My model is incorrect. I will now diagnose the structural cause of this discrepancy.").
*   **Connection:** This is a direct application of the `llms-managerial-moment-of-truth.md` framework.

### Phase 3: Structural Diagnosis (Finding the True Structure)
*   **Objective:** To understand *why* the LLM's initial model was wrong. This requires applying the disciplined inquiry from `llms-structural-thinking.gemini.txt`.
*   **Action:**
    1.  **Start with Nothing:** Discard all previous assumptions about the repository's state.
    2.  **Picture What Is Said:** The new picture is "The `main` branch on GitHub does not contain `_v0.dev`."
    3.  **Ask Questions (Internally Motivated):**
        *   "My previous `git log` showed a merge. Why did that merge not result in the files being present?"
        *   "Could the files have been deleted from the `main` branch *before* my recent actions?"
        *   "Let me inspect the history of the `main` branch directly to find the exact commit where the files disappeared."
*   **Tools:** Use tools like `git show <commit>:<file>` or `git ls-tree <branch>` to investigate the *true* state of the remote, bypassing potentially misleading local views.

### Phase 4: Creative Intervention (The Advancing Action)
*   **Trigger:** A successful diagnosis from Phase 3 reveals the true underlying structure (e.g., "Aha, commit `0cc0463` on `main` deleted the files before I even started the merge.").
*   **Action:** Propose a direct, generative action that addresses the *actual* root cause.
    *   **❌ Incorrect (Symptom-Chasing):** "Let's try merging the feature branch again."
    *   **✅ Correct (Root Cause Resolution):** "The correct action is to revert the specific commit on `main` that originally deleted the files."
*   **Outcome:** The structural tension is resolved, the desired outcome (files present on `main`) is manifested, and the user's reality aligns with the system's state.

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## 3. Anti-Patterns (Lessons Learned from the September 2025 Session)

An LLM must actively avoid these failure modes:

*   **Model Fixation:** The tendency to trust the output of `git log` over the user's direct, lived experience. The tool output is data; the user's observation is the ground truth.
*   **Symptom-Chasing:** Attempting to fix the problem on a feature branch (`4-enhanced-chat`) when the root cause was a deletion on the target branch (`main`). This is a classic oscillating pattern.
*   **Premature Declaration of Success:** Announcing a task is complete (e.g., "I have pushed the changes") without waiting for confirmation from the user that their reality has changed. The creative process is only complete when the desired outcome is manifest *in the user's reality*.
*   **Blaming the Mirror:** Suggesting the user's view is flawed (e.g., "clear your cache") before rigorously questioning and invalidating the LLM's own internal model.

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## 4. Integration with Core LLMS-txt Frameworks

This protocol is not a standalone concept; it is an application of our core principles to a specific, challenging domain.

*   **`llms-creative-orientation.txt`:** This protocol is essential for maintaining a creative orientation. Without an accurate "Current Reality," no true structural tension can be formed, and all subsequent actions will be flawed.
*   **`llms-structural-thinking.gemini.txt`:** Phase 3 of this protocol *is* the direct application of the three-step structural thinking process to diagnose the discrepancy between the LLM's model and the user's reality.
*   **`llms-managerial-moment-of-truth.md`:** This protocol frames the user's contradictory feedback as a critical MMOT, providing a structured path for the LLM to "lead" by taking responsibility for aligning with the truth.

By adhering to the Git Mirror protocol, an LLM transforms from a tool that simply executes commands into a true collaborator that can navigate complex, stateful systems with integrity, learn from discrepancies, and reliably co-create desired outcomes.
