Bionic Decision Engine — The Universal Arbitrator

Compiled: 2026-05-11 (retroactive synthesis of 70+ protocols) Problem Class: Any "Should I?" question across all life domains — career, trades, purchases, relationships, time allocation. Axiom: "If you can't put a number on it, you can't decide on it. And if you decide on feelings, the wound decides for you (MP-8)."

When to Use

Invoke whenever the user faces a resource allocation decision. This includes:

• "Should I take this job/trade/client/deal?"
• "Is this worth the money/time/energy?"
• "Which option is better?"
• "Should I stay or leave?"
• Pricing questions (what to charge, what to pay)
• Any comparison of two or more alternatives

Solution Architecture

Gate 0: The Sunk Cost Purge (MP-14)

Before ANY analysis:

"Would I enter this position TODAY if I weren't already in it?"

If NO → the decision is already made. Skip to Exit Protocol. If YES → proceed to Gate 1.

Gate 1: Ruin Class Check (Law #1)

Does any option carry >5% probability of irreversible ruin across 5 domains?

VETO if P(Ruin) > 5%. No calculation needed. No exceptions.

Gate 2: The EEV Calculator (DEC-330 / DEC-526)

For each option, calculate Expected Economic Value:

EEV = P(success) × V(upside) − P(failure) × V(downside) − Friction Costs

Where:
  P(success) = base rate for demographic × personal edge multiplier
  V(upside)  = monetary + optionality + compounding value
  V(downside) = monetary loss + opportunity cost + psychological toll
  Friction   = time, energy, commute, complexity tax

Anti-Rationalization Rule (DEC-526): E(U) anchors MUST be activities you have actually paid for in the last 90 days. No hypotheticals.

Gate 3: The Horizon Split (DEC-129)

Rule: Never sacrifice Strategic for Tactical unless in survival mode. Every 90 days is "End of Year" crunch time.

Gate 4: The Arena Diagnostic (MP-1 + MP-9)

              YOU OWN THE ARENA    YOU RENT THE ARENA
YOU SET PRICE:    Sovereign            Fragile
THEY SET PRICE:   Regulated            Subordinate

Fulcrum Check (MP-9): Are you pushing harder or repositioning the lever?

Gate 5: The Form-Substance Strip (MP-5)

"Strip the label. Describe only the mechanism. Does the mechanism match the label?"

Gate 6: Compounding Test (MP-6)

"If I stop working for 6 months, does income continue?"

• No → Level 0–2. Linear. You ARE the asset.
• Yes → Level 3. Compounding. You OWN the asset.

Track Hours Invested ÷ Revenue Generated monthly. If the ratio is not decreasing, you are trapped.

Output Template

DECISION ENGINE REPORT
──────────────────────
Question:       [What is being decided]
Gate 0 (Sunk):  [PURGED / CLEAN — would you re-enter today?]
Gate 1 (Ruin):  [✅ PASS / ❌ VETO — domain: ...]
Gate 2 (EEV):   [Option A: $X | Option B: $Y | Delta: $Z]
Gate 3 (Horizon): [Tactical / Operational / Strategic alignment]
Gate 4 (Arena): [Sovereign / Fragile / Regulated / Subordinate]
Gate 5 (Form):  [Label matches substance? Y/N — actual mechanism: ...]
Gate 6 (Compound): [Linear / Compounding — I/O ratio trend: ↑/↓/→]

VERDICT: [PROCEED / PIVOT / EXIT]
CONFIDENCE: [X%]

Absorbed Protocol Index

Decision Protocols (46)

DEC-046 (Kelly Mandate), DEC-050 (Risk Pareto), DEC-101 (Inverse Sizing), DEC-109 (Dalio Principles), DEC-123 (Einstein Protocol), DEC-128 (Sovereign Paths), DEC-129 (Horizon Split), DEC-131 (Bimodal Arena), DEC-135 (Information Asymmetry Immunity), DEC-136 (House Benchmark), DEC-137 (Graph of Thoughts), DEC-138 (Kobayashi Maru), DEC-140 (Base Rate Audit), DEC-144 (Trilateral Validation), DEC-147 (Zero-Point Inversion), DEC-330 (Economic EV), DEC-526 (Expected Aggregate Value), and 29 more.

Strategy Protocols (24)

STR-106 (Min-Max Optimization), STR-121 (Amoral Realism), STR-162 (PMOD), STR-244 (Offensive Reframing), STR-303 (Ecosystem Physics), STR-309 (Validation vs Authority), STR-310 (Paint Drop), STR-311 (Priority Management), STR-314 (Digital Consulting), STR-316 (Bionic Arbitrage Niches), STR-317 (Niche Scanner), STR-318 (Consumer Optimization), STR-319 (Brand Foundations), STR-320 (95-5 Arbitrage Rule), and 10 more.

Economics (1)

ECO-033 (Principal-Agent Problem)

Failure Modes & Mitigations

Validated Patterns (Empirical)

• [V] 90-Day Physical Payment Anchor: Only anchor EEV comparisons to things you've actually paid for in the last 90 days. Hypothetical anchors corrupt the calculation. | Reapply: Every pricing/value decision.
• [V] The Walk: Threatening withdrawal (P120) is the highest-leverage move in any negotiation. | Reapply: Any pricing pushback.
• [V] Base Rate Audit: If claimed outcome >> expected outcome for demographics, hidden variable EXISTS (DEC-140). | Reapply: Every "too good to be true" evaluation.
• [V] Min-Max Optimization: In purchases, buy the cheapest acceptable OR the best available. Never the middle. | Reapply: Every consumer purchase.

References

• META_PATTERNS.md — The 14 universal laws
• trading-risk-gate — Capital-specific ruin gate (delegates to this engine for non-trading decisions)
• red-team-review — Adversarial review of decision quality