MN Manual of Style — Quick Reference

The 90-second read before drafting. For depth, see the full entries linked in the right column.

The four seed rules

1. Don't say "strengths and weaknesses." Say "assets and liabilities."

Traits are neutral. A low Interpersonal is an asset for solo work. A high Entertaining is a liability in close protection. The value is set by the situation. → DEC-001

2. Don't say "She is a Creative." Say "She has a high Creative Nature."

Natures are engagements, not identity types. Use possessive + capacity, never predicate-nominative. → RULE-G01

3. Capitalization

• Specific named Nature/Intelligence: both words capitalized — Protective Nature, Musical Intelligence.
• Collective plural: lowercase — the natures we lean on, intelligences shape thinking.
• Singular abstract: capitalized — your Nature, the Nature of work (like capital Truth).
• Adjectival ordinary English: lowercase — natural-feeling work. → CAP-001

4. Don't say "He is always funny." Say "He tends to be funny."

Trait expression is probabilistic. Forbidden: always, never, will, determines, defines. Required: tends to, usually, leans toward, more often than not. → RULE-G02

Forbidden vocabulary (auto-derived)

• strengths and weaknesses → assets and liabilities
• her weakness is → her [low Nature] is a liability in
• his strength is → he has a high [Nature] Nature
• is a [Nature] / is an [Nature] → has a strong/high [Nature] Nature
• she's a Creative → she has a high Creative Nature
• our resident [Nature] → the teammate whose [Nature] Nature is most active
• protective Nature → Protective Nature
• Musical intelligence → Musical Intelligence
• your nature is → your Nature is
• is always [trait] → tends to be [trait]
• is never [trait] → usually doesn't [trait]
• will [trait verb] → tends to [trait verb]
• determines / defines (in trait predication) → shapes / influences
• means he/she will → tends to lead to

When in doubt

1. Is the trait being treated as situational? (DEC-001)
2. Is the grammar possessive-with-capacity, not predicate-nominative? (RULE-G01)
3. Is the capitalization right? (CAP-001)
4. Is the language probabilistic, not deterministic? (RULE-G02)

If you can answer yes to all four, you're aligned with current canon.

Authority chain

Each MoS rule cites the claims it operationalizes. To trace authority:

RULE-G01 (predicate-nominative)  → CLM-L021, CLM-L024, CLM-L025
RULE-G02 (probabilistic)         → CLM-L034, CLM-L021, CLM-L022, CLM-L025
DEC-001  (asset/liability)       → CLM-L021, CLM-L022, CLM-L025
CAP-001  (capitalization)        → CLM-L024, CLM-L023

When in doubt about why a rule exists, follow the chain to the claim. When in doubt about whether the rule applies, check the entry's edge cases.