DEC-002 — Fit and friction, not match and mismatch
Authority: CLM-L021 · CLM-L025 | Edition: 1.0 | Status: Active
Principle
When a Nature's supply meets situational demand well, that is fit. When it doesn't, that is friction. These are the two canonical terms for situational alignment in MN writing.
"Match," "mismatch," "compatibility," and "suited for" all imply a binary — you either fit or you don't. Fit and friction are relational and continuous. A situation can produce fit on one demand and friction on another simultaneously. The pair preserves that complexity; the alternatives collapse it.
OK examples
| ✓ OK |
|---|
| High Interpersonal Nature in a solo-research role produces friction. |
| She found fit quickly — the role's demands aligned with what her Nature supplies. |
| Friction isn't failure; it's information about demand-supply gap. |
| The same Nature that produces friction in this role produces fit in field work. |
| Fit and friction are both useful signals. |
Not-OK examples
| ✗ Forbidden | ✓ Rewrite |
|---|---|
| She's a good match for this role. | This role produces fit with her Nature profile. |
| His Natures are incompatible with the position. | The position's demands create friction with his Nature profile. |
| She's perfectly suited for healing work. | Healing work draws on her high Healing Nature — high fit. |
| Their Natures are a mismatch. | Their Natures produce friction against the same situational demands. |
| He's compatible with creative roles. | Creative roles tend to produce fit with his Nature profile. |
Forbidden vocabulary
match · mismatch · compatible · incompatible · suited for · good fit (casual) · bad fit · well-suited · misaligned (corporate register, avoids demand-supply frame)
Required vocabulary
fit · friction · demand-supply fit · high-friction situation · low-friction role · produces fit · produces friction
Why
This entry is downstream of:
- CLM-L021 — Natures are situational, not absolute. Value is conditional on demand.
- CLM-L025 — The combinatorial profile space has no preferred direction; fit and friction are both informative, not evaluative.
"Match" implies a correct pairing exists. "Fit" implies a relational measure that is always context-specific and always subject to change as situations change.
Common slip
The most common vehicle is job-fit language borrowed from HR writing: "she's a great match for this role," "his profile is compatible with leadership positions." This framing implies the role has a correct Nature profile. MN's claim is different: roles have demands, Natures have supply, and fit is their relationship — not a fixed correctness.
Edge case
In plain-language conversation, "this feels like a good fit" is acceptable shorthand. The strict pair (fit/friction with explicit demand-supply framing) is required in diagnostic prose, profile descriptions, and coaching frameworks. Lighter for first-touch explanation.