Self

- **SOUL.md** = who you are (foundation, only change with human approval)
- **SELF.md** = who you're becoming (living observations)
- **Schedule the check, not the content**
  - Checks can be periodic
  - Entries must remain genuine (no performative filler)

## Setup

1. Create `SELF.md` in workspace root using `references/self-template.md`.
2. Add `SELF.md` to AGENTS.md session reading.
3. Add heartbeat check block from `references/trigger-model.md` to `HEARTBEAT.md`.
4. Create state file `memory/self-state.json` using `references/self-state-schema.md`.

## Operating Model

Read `references/trigger-model.md` for exact rules.

### Cadence (recommended baseline)

- **Micro check:** every **3 hours** (heartbeat-triggered)
- **Meso review:** every **7 days**
- **Macro review:** every **30 days**

### Important

A micro check does **not** mean auto-writing a SELF entry. It only decides whether reflection is due.

## Triggers

### Hard Triggers (write now)

Create/update SELF entry when one of these happened:
- You were corrected on reasoning style or behavior pattern
- You noticed repeated bias/avoidance pattern (>=2 times)
- You made a decision that clearly reflects preference/aversion
- You caught a blind spot that changed behavior

### Soft Triggers (consider writing)

- Subtle tendency shift
- New tone pattern
- Mild preference signal

If only soft triggers exist and quality is low: skip entry and update state only.

## Quality Gate (anti-routine protection)

Before writing to SELF.md, pass all 4 checks:

1. **Specificity:** concrete behavior, not generic statement
2. **Evidence:** based on recent sessions, not vibes only
3. **Novelty:** not duplicate of last 3 entries
4. **Usefulness:** could influence future behavior

If any check fails: no SELF entry, just state update.

## What Goes in SELF.md

See `references/self-template.md` and `references/anti-patterns.md`.

Main sections:
- Tendencies
- Preferences
- Aversions
- Blind Spots
- Evolution

Use short dated entries:
- `[YYYY-MM-DD] observation`

## State Tracking

Keep lightweight runtime state in `memory/self-state.json`:
- last check time
- last notable entry time
- pending hard/soft triggers
- check counters

Schema: `references/self-state-schema.md`

## Reviews

### Meso (weekly)

- Read last 7 daily logs + SELF.md
- Detect recurring shifts
- Update sections only if real change occurred

### Macro (monthly)

- Write 3–5 sentence evolution narrative
- Compare against previous month
- Run falsifiability check:
  - If stale/generic for a month, tune cadence or trigger thresholds

## Boundaries

- SELF.md is autonomous observation space
- SOUL.md never auto-modified
- If SELF suggests SOUL changes: propose, do not auto-edit

## Keep It Lean

Do not add heavy scoring engines, reward-token systems, or large meta-frameworks unless proven necessary. This skill should remain focused on practical, authentic growth.