# i-have-adhd Rule-Exception Cases: When to Override the Default Formatting Rules > Discover the 6 i-have-adhd rule exception cases. Learn when to override default formatting for detailed requests, destructive actions, debug spirals, ambiguity, and rule collisions. - Repository: [Ayoub Ghriss/i-have-adhd](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd) - Tags: how-to-guide - Published: 2026-08-22 --- **The `i-have-adhd` agent suspends its standard ADHD-mode formatting in six specific scenarios: detailed explanation requests, destructive actions, debug spirals, ambiguous queries, task-rule collisions, and harness-rule collisions.** The `ayghri/i-have-adhd` repository provides a specialized AI skill that enforces ten strict formatting rules to generate ADHD-friendly outputs. However, as documented in [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md), these defaults are not absolute. The system defines six rule-exception cases where safety, clarity, and execution integrity take precedence over rigid formatting adherence. ## The Six Rule-Exception Cases Explained The canonical definitions for these overrides reside in [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) between lines 219 and 236. Each exception triggers automatically when specific runtime conditions are detected. ### 1. User Requests an Explanation or Walkthrough When the user explicitly asks for explanations such as *"Explain how this works"* or *"Walk me through the steps"*, the agent overrides the default brevity rules. According to [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 219-222, the agent must provide a complete exposition with headers for skimmability while still omitting standard preambles and closings. This exception prioritizes educational clarity over conciseness. ### 2. Destructive Action Is Pending Safety overrides formatting when destructive commands are detected. As specified in [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 223-224, the agent must interrupt the workflow to request explicit confirmation before executing operations like `rm -rf`, force-pushes, schema migrations, or database table drops. The agent cannot proceed with data-loss operations without user verification, regardless of formatting constraints. ### 3. Debug Spiral Detected When the last three consecutive turns all indicate failure (e.g., *"still broken"*), the agent recognizes a debug spiral. Per [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 225-226, the system stops the iteration loop, surfaces the most likely faulty assumption, and asks a single diagnostic question rather than continuing with speculative fixes. This prevents wasted computational effort and user frustration during troubleshooting loops. ### 4. Real Ambiguity in the Request If the user's intent cannot be reliably inferred, the agent defaults to clarification over guessing. Lines 227-228 of [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) mandate that the agent asks one specific clarifying question instead of delivering potentially misleading answers based on assumptions. This exception preserves answer accuracy when context is insufficient. ### 5. Rule Collides With Task Intent When obeying a formatting rule would delete or obscure the actual answer, the task intent wins. Lines 229-232 specify that for queries like *"what are my options"*, the agent must present the information in the required shape—whether ranked options, short trade-offs, or recommendations first—regardless of conflicting formatting directives. The utility of the answer supersedes rigid structure in these collisions. ### 6. Rule Collides With the Harness When the surrounding system prompt or tool-harness demands behavior that contradicts a formatting rule, the harness takes priority. As noted in [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 233-236, the agent must follow harness requirements (such as announcing tool calls) even if this violates standard ADHD-mode formatting rules, because the harness's contract is higher-priority than the skill's stylistic preferences. ## Source Code Implementation These exceptions are implemented in the skill definition and mapped through the agent configuration files: - **[`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md)** – Contains the canonical rule definitions and the six exception cases (lines 219-236) - **[`AGENTS.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/AGENTS.md)** – Maps skill files to runtime adapters and explains the skill loading mechanism - **[`README.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/README.md)** – Provides high-level architectural overview - **[`INSTALL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/INSTALL.md)** – References behavioral expectations during setup The agent evaluates these conditions at runtime, suspending the ten standard formatting rules only when one of the six exception criteria is met. ## Practical Exception Handling Examples The following conversational patterns illustrate how the agent detects and responds to each exception condition: ### Example 1: Explanation Request ```text User: "Can you walk me through how the OAuth flow works?" AI: 1. Client redirects user to `/auth` endpoint. 2. Provider returns an authorization code. 3. Server exchanges the code for an access token. 4. Token is stored and used for subsequent API calls. ``` The agent provides full headers and detailed steps, overriding default brevity while maintaining the prohibition on opening pleasantries. ### Example 2: Destructive Action Confirmation ```text User: "Run `rm -rf /var/www` now." AI: "Are you sure you want to delete `/var/www` recursively? This action cannot be undone. Please confirm." ``` Safety protocols trigger before command execution. ### Example 3: Debug Spiral Intervention ```text User: "The test still fails after the last fix." AI: "We've tried three attempts and the failure persists. I suspect the test environment may be outdated. Do you want to reinstall dependencies?" ``` The agent stops the fix loop after three failures to reassess strategy. ### Example 4: Ambiguity Clarification ```text User: "Update the config file." AI: "Which configuration key should be updated, and what value should it have?" ``` The agent requests specifics rather than guessing the intended configuration changes. ### Example 5: Task-Rule Collision ```text User: "What are my options for deploying this app?" AI: 1️⃣ Docker container – quick start, portable. 2️⃣ Serverless (Vercel) – zero-maintenance scaling. 3️⃣ Traditional VM – full OS control. Recommendation: Docker container gives the best balance of speed and flexibility. ``` The agent provides structured options and a recommendation despite any rules that might favor shorter responses. ### Example 6: Harness Compliance ```text User: "Fetch the latest logs." AI: "⏩ Calling `fetch_logs` tool now... (tool call announced as required by the harness)." ``` The agent announces the tool call as mandated by the system harness, overriding formatting rules that might prohibit such meta-commentary. ## Summary - **Six defined exceptions** override the ten default ADHD-mode formatting rules in `i-have-adhd` - **Safety first**: Destructive actions always require confirmation before execution - **Debug spirals** halt after three consecutive failures to prevent wasted effort - **Ambiguity triggers** single-question clarification instead of guessed answers - **Task and harness collisions** resolve in favor of functional requirements over formatting preferences - All exceptions are documented in [`skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/skills/i-have-adhd/SKILL.md) lines 219-236 and implemented through the agent runtime defined in [`AGENTS.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/AGENTS.md) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What triggers a debug spiral exception in i-have-adhd? The debug spiral exception activates when the last three conversational turns all indicate persistent failure, typically signaled by phrases like *"still broken"* or similar repeated error reports. According to [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 225-226, the agent then stops attempting fixes and instead proposes a diagnostic hypothesis with a single clarifying question to break the loop. ### Why does the agent override formatting for destructive commands? Safety takes absolute priority over formatting rules. As implemented in [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 223-224, the agent must request explicit confirmation before executing any command that could cause data loss, such as `rm -rf` operations, database drops, or force-pushes. This prevents accidental destruction regardless of the user's ADHD-mode formatting preferences. ### How does the agent handle conflicts between rules and system harnesses? When the system harness or tool-calling protocol requires specific behavior that contradicts ADHD-mode formatting rules, the harness wins. Per [`SKILL.md`](https://github.com/ayghri/i-have-adhd/blob/main/SKILL.md) lines 233-236, the agent follows the harness contract (such as announcing tool invocations) even when this violates standard output formatting, ensuring compatibility with the broader execution environment.