# Shared Meaning Check Shared Meaning Check is the practice of testing whether two or more people [[Understanding|understand]] a [[Meaning|meaning]] in the same enough way to communicate, coordinate, or relate more well. ## Meaning Use this check when a word, phrase, promise, decision, role, or value might mean different things to different people. The check is: 1. Name the word or phrase. 2. Ask what the current speaker, source, or note means by it. 3. Ask what the other person, team, or reader means by it. 4. Ask whether the meanings [[Alignment|align]] word for word. 5. If yes, mark it as [[Shared Meaning|shared meaning]]. 6. If no, use Buddy or meaning comparison to name the difference. 7. Decide whether the difference needs translation, a better definition, a boundary, a question, aligned action, or a [[Relational Action]]. The check should be honest. It is better to say "we do not [[Alignment|align]] yet" than to pretend shared meaning exists. If people understand each other but do not share a yes, name the result as disagreement rather than confusion. If a public reader or teammate means a word differently, use [[Meaning Disagreement Flow]]. In a [[Relationship|relationship]], the check is useful when misunderstanding is creating avoidable distance, conflict, confusion, or hesitation. For The Brotherhood, use the check to ask what a word needs to mean for the team to accomplish the [[Mission|mission]]. The first The Brotherhood mission-specific draft check is internal until the team has used it. The shortest live version is an internal team conversation prompt until it has been tested. ## Source Of Meaning This note is grounded in [[Language Alignment]], [[Language Alignment Game]], [[Understanding]], agreement, and Joe's desire for Buddy to help people understand what he means without forcing false agreement. ## Relationship Over Time This note should mature through actual [[Alignment|alignment]] conversations with Joe, collaborators, readers, friends, family, and Buddy agents. ## Links - [[Shared Meaning]] - [[Meaning]] - [[Understanding]] - [[The Brotherhood Mission Language Alignment]] - [[Alignment]] - [[Language Alignment]] - [[Language Alignment Game]] - [[Meaning Disagreement Flow]] - [[Relational Action]] - [[Relationship]] - [[Social Well-being]] - [[Mental Well-being]] - [[Source Of Meaning]] ## Tensions The check needs a simple yes/no moment without ignoring nuance. Sometimes the useful result is not agreement but a clear translation between different meanings. ## Question Do we share this meaning, or do we not [[Alignment|align]] yet?