diff --git a/elements/neuron/2026-07-13-the-why-of-day-and-night.md b/elements/neuron/2026-07-13-the-why-of-day-and-night.md
index 56b5955..b3fa513 100644
--- a/elements/neuron/2026-07-13-the-why-of-day-and-night.md
+++ b/elements/neuron/2026-07-13-the-why-of-day-and-night.md
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ what went unused — and it does this by a self-contained loop that checks its o
 purpose is to **spend the day's evidence**: pay the tags, converge the structure, discharge the debt.
 
 **The same three phases, turned inward.** ACTION at night is the defining deed of the night: change
-the structure — build where a tag stands, release where participation was low. RECOVERY at night is
+the structure — build where night participation was high, release where it was low. RECOVERY at night is
 the fast alter-ego of that: import the material and free the material that building and shedding
 require (structural change costs matter, and matter must be moved). PREPARATION at night is the
 **replay** — the component re-evokes the day's patterns as a probe and measures how well it
@@ -115,7 +115,13 @@ energy still to spend — recruit. So replay sweeps the repertoire, circuit by c
 deplete, and each component's **participation is traced**. Restructuring (the night's ACTION⇄RECOVERY)
 then **strengthens the participants**: the components whose participation trace is high, and which have
 material, build up; those that did not take part drift down — while RECOVERY re-supplies energy and
-material for the next round. Cycling many times, because resolving who is potentiated and who is
+material for the next round. Note what decides the outcome, and what does not: the **tag buys chances,
+not prizes**. A high day-tag means a larger energy store, so a component gets to play the participation
+lottery more often — but it wins a build only by *actually participating* in a recruited circuit. A
+heavily-tagged component that plays often and never takes part in a winning circuit is not built; a
+lightly-tagged one that does participate is. Participation is the arbiter of build-versus-release; the
+tag only funds the attempt (and pays for the build, depleting as it does). Cycling many times, because
+resolving who is potentiated and who is
 depotentiated is a competition that takes many rounds. Around and around: **replay selects by
 participation; restructuring consolidates the participants and re-supplies the energy; replay runs
 again on the strengthened structure.** Each phase produces exactly the fuel the other consumes.