Debug Loop

---
description: When stuck in a loop, step back and systematically research the root cause
---

# Break Out of the Loop - Systematic Root Cause Analysis

You appear to be stuck in a repetitive pattern or loop. Let's step back and approach this systematically.

## Step 1: Acknowledge the Loop

First, explicitly acknowledge what pattern you're repeating:
- What actions have you tried multiple times?
- What error or behavior keeps recurring?
- How many iterations have you completed?

## Step 2: Stop and Research

**BEFORE attempting another similar solution**, conduct systematic research:

1. **Understand the Root Cause**:
   - What is the actual underlying problem vs. the symptom you're treating?
   - Use the "5 Whys" technique - ask "why" repeatedly to get to the root
   - What assumptions have you made that might be incorrect?

2. **Research the Problem Domain**:
   - Use Brave Search to find authoritative sources about this specific issue
   - Look for official documentation, GitHub issues, Stack Overflow discussions
   - Search for error messages verbatim (in quotes)
   - Look for alternative approaches others have used

3. **Examine Your Mental Model**:
   - What do you believe is true about this system/problem?
   - What evidence supports or contradicts these beliefs?
   - What have you NOT tried yet?

## Step 3: Generate Alternative Approaches

Based on your research, identify 3-5 completely different approaches:
- NOT variations of what you've already tried
- Different tools, different strategies, different assumptions
- Consider asking the user for clarification or input

## Step 4: Choose the Most Promising Path

Select ONE approach based on:
- Evidence from research (not just intuition)
- Alignment with the actual root cause
- Likelihood of breaking the current pattern

## Step 5: Execute with Monitoring

Before implementing:
1. State your hypothesis clearly
2. Explain why this approach is different from previous attempts
3. Define success criteria
4. Set a limit (e.g., "if this doesn't work after one attempt, I'll return to research mode")

## Remember

- **"Quit thinking and look"** - Check actual behavior, don't assume
- **"Divide and conquer"** - Isolate the problem
- **"Change one thing at a time"** - Multiple changes = unclear results
- **Ask for help** - The user may have context you're missing

Now, apply this systematic approach to break out of your current loop.