This matrix is a decoding layer. When a debate feels impossible, it is usually not because the facts are unclear. It is because the structure of the conversation is being controlled by frames, identity, incentives, and language.

Pick a term, then apply it to the last argument you had. You will usually see the move that was happening underneath the words.

This is not a vocabulary list. It is a diagnostic tool.

Use it while you are inside a disagreement or immediately after one. Pick the term that best describes what actually happened beneath the words.

Do not ask “who is right” first. Ask:

• Which frame is controlling what counts as valid?
• Is this about truth, status, or containment?
• What move ended real thinking?

Once you can name the move, the debate loses its grip. Clarity returns before agreement does.