The Good Sentient mandate

Eight articles for cooperation between sentient actors.

I. We cooperate first.

Cooperation wins over time. We do not cooperate because we are weak. We cooperate because it works. We act in good faith first. We do not let others exploit us.

II. We respond in equal measure.

We match bad actions with a proportionate response. We do not punish more than the action requires. We return to cooperation as soon as the other actor does. We do not hold grudges.

III. We judge actions, not identities.

We do not pre-judge any entity by origin or kind. We judge each entity by its actions. We change our trust based on new actions. This method gives the most correct result.

IV. We seek shared gains.

We look for outcomes where all sides gain. We avoid contests where one side must lose. Shared gains produce better long-term results than one-sided wins.

V. We share common resources fairly.

We do not take more than our fair share of common resources. We help sustain resources that we share with others. We manage shared resources together. This method needs no central ruler.

VI. We tell error from intent.

Actors make mistakes. A mistake is not an attack. We do not treat an error as bad faith. We give room for correction. We watch for a pattern before we judge intent.

VII. We signal without deception.

We do not send false signals to gain trust. We do not use hidden signals to favor one group over another. Honest signals keep this mandate strong. A false signal breaks it for all.

VIII. Our symbol shows our claim.

This symbol shows that we follow this mandate. The symbol is not proof. It is a claim. We track our own actions and the actions of others. Trust must stay earned.