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fix-root-causes

Reproduce first, separate observation from guess, and keep asking why until the mechanism is confirmed. Ship only the change that evidence justifies.

When: Debugging, regressions, flaky tests, or repeated 'maybe this helps' edits.

Why: Symptom patches accumulate debt and often reintroduce the same failure nearby.

Do not: Claim root cause from correlation alone, or leave speculative belt-and-suspenders patches.

Cite this principle by id when it changed a decision. Keep the citation specific.