CBT-06 — error propagation & cascades

core insight:
most harm in authority systems originates from unverified errors that propagate.

what is error propagation?

Error propagation occurs when an incorrect assumption, record, or classification is reused downstream without independent verification.

cascade pattern

• an initial entry is accepted as true
• the entry is reused by another system
• reuse substitutes for verification
• downstream actions rely on inherited assumptions
• correction becomes structurally difficult

why cascades feel authoritative

• multiple files ≠ multiple sources
• multiple agencies ≠ independent verification
• repetition ≠ proof

When systems echo each other, error hardens into “fact.”

normative containment rule

no downstream reliance without upstream verification.

This rule does not stop action. It slows propagation until proof is established.

what this module does not claim

• it does not claim intent
• it does not assign blame
• it does not presume corruption

Authority OS · CBT · module 06 · v1.0

© 2026 Kapukai Governance Lab. All rights reserved.
Published for public review and institutional evaluation. Reproduction, commercial use, derivative standards, or system implementation requires an explicit license.