# Thinking Reversibility

Before heavy deliberation, classify the decision as cheap or costly to undo; decide...

- Repository: https://github.com/tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills (1690 stars)
- Category: Engineering
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-08-07
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills --skill thinking-reversibility -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills --skill thinking-reversibility -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills --skill thinking-reversibility -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills --skill thinking-reversibility -g -a gemini-cli -y`
Claude Code plugin marketplace: `/plugin marketplace add tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills`

## Description

Before heavy deliberation, classify the decision as cheap or costly to undo; decide two-way doors fast and stage one-way doors to preserve options.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Reversibility

Core rule: match process depth to undo cost. Most decisions are cheaper to reverse than they look; irreversible ones deserve deliberation and staged commitment.

## When to Use

- Uncertain how much analysis a decision deserves (tech, process, product, org)
- Tempted to committee a low-blast-radius choice, or to rush a high-lock-in one
- Can redesign the move (pilot, flag, abstraction, time-box) to lower undo cost
- High-stakes choice where acting vs waiting have asymmetric recovery profiles

## When NOT to Use

- Already classified this session, decide at matched depth; do not re-label forever
- Trivial two-way calls (names, local refactors) where deciding is cheaper than classifying
- Externally forced move with no optionality (hard deadline, contract, regulation)
- Correctness gates (security, data integrity) that need the right answer, not speed theater

## Procedure

The rest: https://github.com/tjboudreaux/cc-thinking-skills/blob/HEAD/skills/thinking-reversibility/SKILL.md