I Use This Golden Cursorrule to Improve Everything with Cursor

Whether you're debugging code, managing projects, or tackling life's challenges, sometimes a single principle can transform your entire approach. For me, that game-changer came in the form of a deceptively simple rule I added to my professional guidelines: "Important: try to fix things at the cause, not the symptom." This golden rule fundamentally altered how I approach problems. Rather than applying quick patches or temporary solutions that address only what's visible on the surface, I began digging deeper to identify and resolve the underlying issues. Why It Works The beauty of this approach is in its long-term efficiency. When we fix symptoms, we often create a cascade of "hacks fixing hacks" – those shitty workarounds that eventually create more problems than they solve. Each patch becomes technical debt that someone (usually future you) will have to deal with. By contrast, addressing root causes: Prevents recurring problems Reduces complexity Creates more robust systems Saves significant time in the long run This principle applies beautifully across domains – from software development to relationship management, from organizational leadership to personal habits. A Bonus Rule Worth Following While fixing at the cause revolutionized my problem-solving, another principle elevated my communication: "Be very detailed with summarization and do not miss out things that are important." This seemingly contradictory guideline (detailed summarization?) reminds us that effective communication requires both comprehensiveness AND clarity. It's about identifying the truly essential elements and presenting them completely, without omitting critical context or details. Your Turn These two simple rules – fixing at the cause and detailed summarization – have transformed how I work and communicate. The power of clear, actionable principles shouldn't be underestimated. What about you? What's one rule that's made the world of difference in your professional or personal life? Sometimes the most impactful changes come from the simplest adjustments to our approach.

Apr 15, 2025 - 02:39

I Use This Golden Cursorrule to Improve Everything with Cursor

Whether you're debugging code, managing projects, or tackling life's challenges, sometimes a single principle can transform your entire approach. For me, that game-changer came in the form of a deceptively simple rule I added to my professional guidelines:

"Important: try to fix things at the cause, not the symptom."

This golden rule fundamentally altered how I approach problems. Rather than applying quick patches or temporary solutions that address only what's visible on the surface, I began digging deeper to identify and resolve the underlying issues.

Why It Works

The beauty of this approach is in its long-term efficiency. When we fix symptoms, we often create a cascade of "hacks fixing hacks" – those shitty workarounds that eventually create more problems than they solve. Each patch becomes technical debt that someone (usually future you) will have to deal with.

By contrast, addressing root causes:

Prevents recurring problems
Reduces complexity
Creates more robust systems
Saves significant time in the long run

This principle applies beautifully across domains – from software development to relationship management, from organizational leadership to personal habits.

A Bonus Rule Worth Following

While fixing at the cause revolutionized my problem-solving, another principle elevated my communication:

"Be very detailed with summarization and do not miss out things that are important."

This seemingly contradictory guideline (detailed summarization?) reminds us that effective communication requires both comprehensiveness AND clarity. It's about identifying the truly essential elements and presenting them completely, without omitting critical context or details.

Your Turn

These two simple rules – fixing at the cause and detailed summarization – have transformed how I work and communicate. The power of clear, actionable principles shouldn't be underestimated.

What about you? What's one rule that's made the world of difference in your professional or personal life? Sometimes the most impactful changes come from the simplest adjustments to our approach.