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drafting spec…
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--- name: ? status: compiling version: 0.0.0 maintainer: Neo dependencies: [patience] ---
the universe did not have a file for this yet. writing one now. (first visit only: future readers will see this page instantly.)
--- name: Who They Want To Be slug: who-they-want-to-be type: identity construct status: running version: indeterminate released: varies per instance maintainer: the user (contested) dependencies: - self-concept - external validation - memory (selective) - fear - someone they once met at a party license: proprietary, though heavily forked tags: - identity - aspiration - self-deception - ongoing - never-quite-shipping ---
A background process that runs continuously, consuming significant resources, while the foreground process does something else entirely.
At some point, usually between ages 14 and 45, an instance spins up a parallel self. This parallel self is tidier, more disciplined, fluent in a second language, and has a consistent morning routine. It does not check its phone first thing. It has opinions about wine that are both correct and confident.
The primary process observes this parallel self from a respectful distance. Occasionally, during high-motivation windows (typically: January, after a funeral, following a particularly good book), the primary process attempts to merge with the target identity. The merge is almost never clean.
The gap between current state and target state is not a bug. It is the product's core feature. Without the gap, the construct has no reason to run.
# ~/.identity/aspirational.config
target_self:
discipline: high
warmth: also high (yes, both are possible, stop arguing)
career: meaningful and well-compensated
body: present and at peace
voice: calm under pressure
update_frequency: quarterly (actual: never / suddenly all at once)
allow_external_writes: true # this is almost always the problem
rollback_on_failure: false # there is no rollback
Does the gap ever close permanently? There is no documented case. There are, however, people who have made peace with the gap, which is a different operation entirely.
Is this construct healthy? Depends entirely on the direction of pull. aspiration and self-punishment run on similar architecture.
Who installed this? Unknown. Likely a combination of culture, early caregivers, and one (1) formative piece of media absorbed at a vulnerable age.
Can it be uninstalled? You can suspend it. You cannot uninstall it. Attempts to do so usually just rename it.