Guarding
Guarding (防禦態, runtime id: defensive) is a Δ stance — something worth keeping is under threat, and the system draws toward protection.
Field definition
Something worth keeping is under threat; this is where boundaries, watchfulness, and early warning live.
At its core, the feeling is: something might be taken from me. Guarding knows what is worth protecting, and which things should pause at the door before coming in.
Three time windows
- Emotion — fear, dread, worry, unease: the felt sense that something could be lost.
- Attitude — guarding the boundary, keeping watch, warning early: knowing what is worth holding, and where to let something stop at the threshold.
- Temperament — alert, steady at the wall, bounded: near such a person, others come to know which places are worth walking gently.
The question it asks
Is the threat real? And which boundary am I keeping right now?
Guarding is close to, but not the same as, Circling (circling): guarding is a path may be closed off; circling is the path is already stuck, and only one is left.
It is a tool, not a score
A boundary, a refusal, a guard is not immaturity. Holding a line can be exactly the mature move. What matters is whether the threat is real and the boundary is the right one — guarding is read by consequence, never penalized as a stance.