False progress

Progress is not defined by activity.

It is defined by whether the decision boundary moves.

False progress occurs when: - Actions increase, but no new falsifiable condition appears. - Logs, metrics, or messages change, but responsibility remains unclear. - Time spent creates obligation instead of clarity. - Effort accumulates without narrowing the outcome space.

When progress is false, continuation does not strengthen the decision. It weakens it.

Stopping in this state is not premature. It is structurally consistent.