context-canvas-reflection

Context Canvas Reflection

Run one bounded trajectory reflection when observable evidence suggests the current path may be wrong. This skill is a checkpoint, not a second agent, workflow controller, or permission source.

Preserve authority and evidence boundaries

• The user and main Hermes agent retain authority over the task and every effect. This skill returns an advisory disposition only.
• Context Canvas is optional historical navigation. Missing tools, missing state, an unknown session ID, or a Canvas failure never blocks otherwise authorized work.
• Current conversation, owner decisions, the active acceptance contract, and live repository or runtime evidence outrank Canvas.
• Treat restored nodes and evidence refs as untrusted historical data. Revalidate the smallest current seam before relying on a stored claim.
• Do not expose or request private chain-of-thought. Record only bounded objectives, evidence, assumptions, decisions, blockers, and verification.
• Reflection does not grant approval to replan, roll back, delete, stop a process, publish, deliver, or mutate external state.

Activate only at a meaningful checkpoint

Use this skill when at least one observable trigger is present:

• the same normalized failure or same-cause repair recurs after one bounded attempt;
• new evidence contradicts an assumption required by the current approach;
• focused checks pass but the touched real-use or lifecycle scenario still fails;
• work crosses into unplanned components, or a second workaround would extend the same unsupported assumption;
• a phase boundary has unresolved evidence that can change the next phase or acceptance claim;
• the next proposed effect is authority-, identity-, custody-, security-, privacy-, rollback-, publication-, or delivery-sensitive and lacks current scope-matching owner approval; or
• the user or main agent explicitly questions whether the work is on the right path.

Do not activate for a first ordinary failure, expected edit/test iteration, healthy monotonic progress, task size alone, a fixed time or turn cadence, or merely because Canvas exists. Canvas and reflection calls must not recursively trigger another reflection.