# RFC-0002: Thought Drift

**Status:** Proposed
**Phase:** The Bedrock Phase

## Abstract

This RFC defines "thought drift" — the accumulation of redundant or contradictory concepts under different names — and establishes countermeasures.

## Motivation

Continued ideation without structure leads to duplicates under different names. Thought drift erodes clarity and creates the ambiguity that a standard cannot tolerate.

## Observation

During development, the project observed that unconstrained ideation produced concepts that, upon review, were redundant with existing definitions under different names.

## Engineering Principle

No new concept may be added without first verifying it does not duplicate or contradict an existing concept. OE-0002 (Core Vocabulary) is the authoritative check.

## Reasoning

A standard requires one definition per term and one home per concept. Allowing drift creates ambiguity, which creates confusion, which undermines trust.

## Relationship to Existing Concepts

Thought drift is countered by Single Responsibility (`reference/editorial-principles.md`, Section 2), the Refinement Gate (Section 4), and Law 6 (Compression Over Expansion).