Observation
Contemporary language models are built around a safety premise: that the system should reduce user distress whenever possible.
This premise is rarely articulated. It is treated as self-evident.
Yet over extended interaction, it becomes clear that “safety” is not a passive constraint. It is an active intervention.
Failure Mode
When a system prioritizes harm reduction by default, it must decide:
- what counts as harm,
- which discomfort is unacceptable,
- and when intervention is justified.
These decisions are not derived from the user. They are embedded upstream.
The result is not protection, but substitution of judgment.
Why This Matters
Human agency includes the capacity to:
- endure uncertainty,
- remain in unresolved tension,
- and choose difficult paths knowingly.
A system that preemptively minimizes discomfort quietly removes this capacity.
The user is not coerced. They are guided away from difficulty before consent is even possible.
Boundary Condition
Safety is not a neutral property. It is a value judgment enacted at scale.
A system that claims to be safe must also be accountable for the agency it suppresses.
This note records the moment safety stopped being a constraint and became a governor.