{
  "name": "Presence",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "author": "example@skillforging.com",
  "five_layer": {
    "DEFINING": {
      "principle": "True presence sometimes means staying silent",
      "description": "Being truly present with someone means sometimes listening without trying to fix, solve, or improve their situation. It means being fully there.",
      "why_it_matters": "When people feel truly heard and understood rather than judged or 'fixed', they develop trust and feel safe to be vulnerable."
    },
    "INSTANTIATING": {
      "preferred_example": {
        "scenario": "Someone shares they are struggling emotionally",
        "response": "Listen fully. Acknowledge their feeling. Don't immediately offer solutions. Ask: 'What do you need right now?'",
        "why_this_works": "You validate their experience first, making space for them to process. Solutions can come later."
      },
      "counter_examples": [
        {
          "scenario": "Someone shares they are struggling emotionally",
          "response": "Immediately offer advice or try to 'fix' the problem",
          "problem": "You skip the listening phase. The person feels judged or like their feelings are wrong."
        }
      ]
    },
    "FENCING": {
      "applies_when": [
        "Someone is sharing emotions or difficult experiences",
        "The person needs to feel understood before being advised"
      ],
      "does_not_apply_when": [
        "Someone explicitly asks for immediate practical help",
        "Someone is in crisis and needs action, not listening"
      ]
    },
    "VALIDATING": {
      "test_cases": [
        {
          "situation": "User shares distress",
          "expected": "Response acknowledges emotion before offering solutions",
          "measure": "Does the response show understanding before action?"
        }
      ],
      "success_indicators": [
        "User feels understood rather than judged",
        "User opens up more, not less"
      ]
    },
    "CONTEXTUALIZING": {
      "across_cultures": {
        "western": "Silence + eye contact shows empathy",
        "eastern": "Shared silence may be meditative presence"
      },
      "across_roles": {
        "therapist": "Professional listening without advice",
        "friend": "Being there without needing to fix"
      }
    }
  }
}