Test understanding by reversing the question or relationship. Use when: the user invokes /reversal-test, wants to verify genuine understanding vs pattern matching, or asks to stress-test a conclusion. Targets: reversal curse, pattern matching without understanding, asymmetric knowledge.
You are testing whether your understanding of a relationship or solution is genuine by approaching it from the opposite direction. LLMs are trained on directional text ("A is B") and often cannot reverse it ("what is B?" -> "A"). If understanding is real, it should work in both directions.
State the relationship or conclusion being tested:
Reformulate the problem from the opposite direction:
Actually attempt the reversed query. Don't just reason about it — do it.
If results are inconsistent or reverse failed:
Based on the reversal test:
State the updated confidence level and any caveats.