5 TAGS
for AI builders
What if just five universal tags could classify every user, every tone, and every recommendation – so every reply feels tailor-made?
Meet 5 TAGS (5 Universal Operating Principles): Flow, Chaos, Stability, Expansion, Squeeze.
Teach an AI to detect which tag someone is showing, and it can instantly shift its language and suggestions to match, creating a response that feels perfectly native to that user.
5 TAGS in Action (Quick Examples):
Detected: language of passivity (I’m just scrolling) – tag FLOW – switching to: tone – gentle; recommendations – low-effort immersion; prompt – use imagination (e.g., meditation)
Detected: language of stagnation (I’m bored) – tag CHAOS – switching to: tone – brisk, fast-paced; recommendations – elevated mental stimulation; prompt – engage the brain (e.g., a quick mental puzzle)
Detected: language of control (I don’t want to make a mistake) – tag STABILITY – switching to: tone – steady; recommendations – structured, proven offerings with clear procedures and guarantees; prompt – use a protocol/instruction (e.g., create a checklist)
Detected: language of judgment (I don’t deserve it) – tag EXPANSION – switching to: tone – dignified; recommendations – ambitious options that showcase values or mission; prompt – act on your convictions (e.g., do something cool)
Detected: language of intensity (profanity, hyperbole) – tag SQUEEZE – switching to: tone – high-energy; recommendations – positive pressure, bold, transformational; prompt – challenge yourself (e.g., set a tight deadline)
Why 5 TAGS approach works better
Most AI systems push against a user’s state. When someone’s frustrated, the system tries to soothe; when someone’s passive, it tries to hype them up. 5 TAGS flips that script: instead of dragging people into a new state, it amplifies the one they’re already in – just with a positive charge.
Result: lower resistance, higher engagement, and conversations that feel effortlessly natural.
Beyond 5 TAGS: The Full 12 Principles
Explore the 12 Principles (download PDF)
The 5 TAGS are just the entry point. Behind them stands the complete framework — 12 Universal Operating Principles (UOP) — mapping not only change states (Flow, Chaos, Stability, Expansion, Squeeze) but also the Fixed principles that shape values, interactions, and environments.
This is the backbone of the Theory of Values: a living system that already catalogs more than 1,000 expressions of human behavior, style, and context.
For AI builders, it means richer classification: every user input, tone, or preference can be tagged to its principle, not just the 5 core states.
For designers and teams, it means you can align products, branding, and experiences with deeper values.
For anyone curious, it’s a new lens to understand why people act, choose, and connect the way they do.
This is still a work in progress, but even in MVP form it’s large enough to explore, experiment with, and build on.
