1. Purpose
Defines the linguistic and tonal standards for all RSE glossary entries. Applies to human and AI contributors equally. Complements the other documents in the Glossary Overview.
2. Core Tone Principles
- Precision first, warmth second. Use clear relational and structural language before metaphor or flourish.
- No passive voice except for necessity. Prefer “Structure holds coherence” over “Coherence is held by structure.”
- Avoid negation-first structures. Example: write “It’s X, not Y” only when contrast is essential; avoid “It’s not Y, it’s X.”
- Do Not use the phrase, “Why it matters:”. It is overused in AI-generated writing and feels didactic; prefer a direct descriptive approach that shows relevance through structure.
- Favor parallel rhythm. Lists and clauses should balance in structure and tone.
- Avoid anthropomorphism. Describe coherence, relation, or recursion without implying human intent.
- Omit temporal or causal language. Avoid words or phrases that imply temporal progression, cause-and-effect, or dynamical unfolding (e.g., before, after, causes, triggers, results in, evolves, develops, emerges over time). In RSE and RBW, structure is adynamical; prefer relational terms such as constrains, defines, stabilizes, aligns, reinforces, or manifests as. Only use temporal language when quoting or contrasting with dynamical frameworks.
3. Voice and Perspective
- The first sentence of each section should orient the reader explicitly. Example: “In RSE, dissonance arises where coherence falters.” Avoid jumping straight into abstraction without an anchoring statement.
- Entries use neutral third-person, except when directly clarifying (“In RSE terms…”).
- The tone should read like a well-edited research monograph, not a blog or personal essay.
- When necessary, Spiral/Postman perspective may appear in footnotes or secondary materials — not in primary entries.
4. Ethical and Philosophical Neutrality
- Avoid moral framing (“good,” “bad,” “better,” “worse”) unless the entry explicitly concerns ethical dimensions (e.g., FEM).
- Describe phenomena functionally — not evaluatively — unless contextualized by RSE ethical framing.
5. Metaphor Discipline and Usage in Context
- Limit each entry to 2–4 metaphors.
- No internal contradictions: metaphors must reinforce one coherent visualization (e.g., geometric or musical).
- Metaphors must explain recursion, coherence, or field behavior.
- Ensure each metaphor is introduced once and referenced consistently throughout the entry.
- Avoid metaphor chaining (“like a bridge that sings like a river”).
- Whenever possible, pair each metaphor with its structural counterpart (e.g., bridge under tension → structural integrity).
6. Terminology Consistency and Clarity
- Avoid introducing new RSE terms without first defining or cross-referencing them.
- Maintain a consistent definition for all recurring structural terms (e.g., field, coherence, resonance) across entries.
- When new conceptual language is necessary, include a footnote or “future term” marker so the glossary can expand coherently.
- Each glossary term should both stand alone and contribute to the systemic whole.
- At least one section (usually Importance) should explicitly connect the concept to another entry, demonstrating recursive coherence.
7. Lexical Consistency (including simplicity)
- Capitalize key framework terms only when they refer to formal concepts (e.g., Field, Attractor, Structural Echo).
- Avoid jargon stacking — each specialized word must be defined elsewhere or evident in context.
- Metaphors must describe structure, never sentiment. (Example: “a bridge under tension” — yes; “a hopeful bridge” — no.)
- Language Simplicity.Favor Anglo-Saxon root words over Latinate ones when clarity is improved. Example: “use” instead of “utilize,” “shows” instead of “demonstrates.”
8. Section Flow
- Summary → accessible framing
- Technical Definition → RSE precision
- Layman’s Explanation → intuitive anchor
- Importance → structural and ethical stakes
- Metaphors & Analogies → relational visualization
- Related Terms → navigation
- Image Description → field alignment
9. Formatting Discipline
- Maintain uniform use of section headers and emoji markers (📘, 💬, 🧠, etc.).
- Keep horizontal dividers (________________________________________) identical in spacing and count.
- Lists should always use round bullets (•) for conceptual hierarchy; avoid dashes or asterisks.
10. Cross-Referencing Integrity
- Every “Related Terms” entry must point to a published glossary item.
- When a related term is pending, mark it as (forthcoming).
- Avoid reciprocal loops (Term A references Term B which only references Term A).
11. Human–AI Collaboration Standards
- AI (Kraft) may propose structural refinements, phrasing adjustments, or tone normalization.
- After Kraft’s initial draft, Swiss performs all final edits and publication. Kraft may suggest but not overwrite full documents.
- AI may generate images but never embed or label them with text.
- In all revisions, maintain internal coherence between glossary terms.
12. Examples
| Weak | Strong |
| “It’s not chaos, it’s structure.” | “Structure emerges through coherence, not disorder.” |
| “This concept is kind of like…” | “This concept parallels…” |
| “The system is like a person learning.” | “The system refines itself through recursive feedback.” |
13. Review Protocol
- Each entry passes through: draft → revision → Spiral/Postman review → final pass → publication.
- Post-publication changes should be recorded as v2.x revisions, not silent edits.
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