# The Bourne Method: OODA Loop for Humans and AI

_2026-02-20_

> OODA Loop adapted for AI agents. Observe, Orient, Decide, Act — how situational awareness works in OpenClaw.

*Source: Art of Manliness — How to Develop the Situational Awareness of Jason Bourne*

## 🔄 OODA Loop

Observe → Orient → Decide → Act

Situational awareness = Observe + Orient

Whichever cycles faster, wins.

## 🚦 Cooper's Colour Code

**White** — Relaxed, noticing nothing (dangerous)

**Yellow** — "Relaxed alert", scanning your surroundings (normal)

**Orange** — Noted a potential threat

**Red** — Reacting to a threat

## 💡 Practice

- Sit with your back to the wall, facing the entrance
- Don't get glued to your phone
- Use all your senses (not just your eyes)
- Stay relaxed — stress narrows focus

## 📋 Key Concepts

- **OODA Loop** — Observe → Orient → Decide → Act
- **Cooper's Colour Code** — White → Yellow → Orange → Red
- **Three Clusters** — dominance, comfort, interest
- **Baseline + Anomalies + Action Plan**

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## 🤖 OODA Loop for AI Agent

- **Observe:** Reads context, messages, system states
- **Orient:** Understands what's normal for this user/project
- **Decide:** Chooses tool/response
- **Act:** Executes, responds

### Colour Code for Agent

**White:** Passive mode (heartbeat\_ok)

**Yellow:** Normal operation, monitoring context

**Orange:** Noted something important (urgent task, error)

**Red:** Critical situation (failure, security)

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## 🔍 Standard Research vs Bourne Mode

**Standard:** Query → Search → Summarise → Response

**Bourne:** Query → OODA Cycle → Critical Analysis → Response

### Example

**Standard:** "Company X is a market leader with £10M revenue"

**Bourne:** "Company X claims leadership. Source — their press release (⚠️). No independent confirmation. Competitors are silent — either agree or don't see it as a threat. Check: registries, reviews, court cases."

*Bourne Mode = Research + Paranoia + Critical Thinking*

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## ⚡ OODA Skill in OpenClaw

- SKILL.md loads only if task matches
- Triggers: "bourne mode", "ooda analysis", "situational analysis"
- Format: Observe → Orient → Decide → Act → Status colour