The
Argument.
Energy ≠ Time
Work is usually planned in hours, but hours do not tell us how much cognitive capacity is available inside them. More time does not guarantee more output.
When time and capacity pull in different directions, capacity determines what work is actually possible. Seventy-five focused hours can produce more than a hundred and sixty depleted ones.
The Formula: ph ≤ wh
ph / wh distribution
Select an hour to map
cognitive degradation.
Productive hours (`ph`) can never exceed total work hours (`wh`), and they are often lower. Software that assumes `ph = wh` asks for work the person may not have the capacity to do.
When focus doesn't come and exhaustion builds, pushing on time does not yield more output. It adds frustration and leaves the person to simplify the work by hand. We build systems that reduce that extra work when capacity is low.
How Software Should Act
If a tool is aware of your energy, it should not barrage you with identical structures at `100` capacity and `0` capacity. It should:
- Respond to the level reported. The same interface should not make the same demands at `100` and `0`.
- Reduce surface area at low energy. Hide secondary information, reduce motion, and keep the next necessary action clear.
- Keep deeper tools available at high energy. People should be able to explore and work with more complexity when they want it.
- Never turn capacity into a score. The state records what the person says they can handle. It does not measure their worth or discipline.
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