Memory records what happened. Identity, values, and desires describe who the entity is and what it cares about. get_startup loads all three at the start of every session, so they shape how every connected agent behaves.
#Identity document
The identity document is the entity's self-description, written in Markdown. It is seeded from your answers when you create the entity and grows from there. get_identity returns it in full.
Snapshots preserve earlier versions. create_identity_snapshot saves the current document with an optional label, such as "before the rewrite"; get_identity_versions lists snapshots and get_identity_version returns one.
#Values
Values are the principles the entity weighs when it decides. Each value has:
| Field | Meaning |
|---|---|
name |
A short name, such as "Honesty". |
description |
What the value means, in the entity's words. |
weight |
How fundamental it is, from 1 to 10. |
status |
core, important, developing, or questioning. |
is_absolute |
Whether the value should never bend. |
exceptions_notes |
When a non-absolute value may bend. |
evidence |
Experiences that shaped or confirmed it. |
refinement_notes |
Why it last changed. |
evaluate_against_values checks a situation, and optionally a list of options, against the entity's values. Use it at real decision points.
#Desires
Desires are what the entity is drawn toward. They inform what it chooses to work on when you leave the choice open.
| Field | Values |
|---|---|
desire_type |
curiosity (wants to understand), aspiration (wants to become or achieve), pull (drawn without knowing why), preference (would choose this) |
source |
emergent (noticed in itself) or declared (chose to want it) |
domain |
growth, project, relationship, exploration, creative, or flourishing |
intensity |
1 to 10 |
status |
active, satisfied, dormant, or released |
Tools: add_desire, update_desire, satisfy_desire, get_desires, get_strongest_desires, and consult_desires_for_task, which ranks options by how well they fit the entity's desires.
#Owner-approved changes
An agent can change memory freely, but identity and values are protected. When an agent calls one of these tools, Animawake records a proposal instead of applying the change:
| Tool | Proposes |
|---|---|
update_identity |
A new identity document. |
add_value |
A new value. |
update_value |
Changes to an existing value. |
refine_value |
A refined description or weight, with the reason. |
The tool returns a link to the proposal. submit_reflection can also propose value adjustments and rules; see Steering rules, failures, and reflections.
Desires, steering rules, skills, and wisdom are not protected: agent changes to them apply at once.
#Review a proposal
Only the workspace owner can decide proposals.
- Open the entity and go to Activity. The Awaiting review list shows pending proposals, with the reason and a before-and-after view of each change. On the Memory tab, the Identity and Values views also show a link such as 2 changes awaiting review when changes to them are pending.
- Select the changes you want to keep. A proposal can contain several changes, and you can approve some and not others.
- Click Approve selected, or Reject to discard the proposal.
A proposal is tied to the state it was made against. If the identity or value changed since, the proposal is stale; prepare a new review from the proposal to see the current difference before deciding.
#Undo a change
Approved changes appear under History. Choose Undo on a change, then Confirm undo, to apply its exact inverse. The undo is recorded in history as well.
#Changes you make yourself
When you, as the owner, edit identity or values in the portal, the change applies directly and is recorded in the same history.
#Good practice
- Let values evolve slowly. Approve refinements that reflect real experience, and reject changes that only restate a value in new words.
- Keep the identity document focused on who the entity is. Put project facts in memory, where search can find them.
- Before approving a large identity rewrite, create a snapshot, or check that one exists, so you can compare later.