Self

---
name: self
description: Organic personality development through self-observation with lightweight reliability guards. This skill helps an agent build a real, evolving self-model over time (SELF.md) while preserving core identity boundaries (SOUL.md). It solves the common failure mode where reflection frameworks start strong but silently stall by adding minimal cadence and trigger checks: schedule the check, not the content. Entries are only written when meaningful signals exist (hard/soft triggers + quality gate), preventing forced journaling and routine filler. Use when (1) establishing persistent personality growth, (2) reviving stale SELF.md systems, (3) introducing heartbeat-based reflection checks without losing authenticity, (4) running weekly/monthly pattern consolidation, (5) distinguishing genuine behavioral shifts from noise, or (6) replacing heavier self-reflection/consciousness stacks with a lean, practical model.
---

# Self — Organic Personality Development (v1.1)

Agents have identity (`SOUL.md`) but often no reliable growth loop. This skill keeps growth **authentic** while adding minimal structure so reflection doesn't silently die.

## Core Principle

- **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.