- name
- inner-life-core
- version
- 1.0.4
- homepage
- https://github.com/DKistenev/openclaw-inner-life
- source
- https://github.com/DKistenev/openclaw-inner-life/tree/main/skills/inner-life-core
- description
- Your agent forgets who you are between sessions. It gives the same responses every day. It doesn't grow. inner-life-core fixes that. Gives your OpenClaw agent emotions with half-life decay, a 9-step Brain Loop protocol, and structured state — the foundation for an inner life. Works standalone or with inner-life-* extension skills.
- metadata
- clawdbot
- requires
- bins
- ["jq"]
- reads
- ["memory/inner-state.json", "memory/drive.json", "memory/habits.json", "memory/relationship.json", "BRAIN.md"]
- writes
- ["memory/inner-state.json", "memory/drive.json", "memory/habits.json", "memory/relationship.json", "memory/daily-notes/"]
- agent-discovery
- triggers
- bundle
- openclaw-inner-life
- works-with
inner-life-core
The foundation for an agent's inner life. Emotions, state, protocol.
What This Solves
Without inner-life-core, your agent:
- Starts every session as a blank slate
- Has no emotional continuity
- Can't prioritize based on how things are going
- Doesn't know when to reach out or stay quiet
With inner-life-core, your agent:
- Tracks 6 emotions with realistic half-life decay
- Follows a 9-step Brain Loop protocol
- Routes behavior based on emotional state
- Knows when to ask, when to act, when to stay silent
Setup
# Initialize state files
bash skills/inner-life-core/scripts/init.shThis creates:
memory/inner-state.json— 6 emotions with decay rulesmemory/drive.json— what the agent is seeking/anticipatingmemory/habits.json— learned habits and user patternsmemory/relationship.json— trust levels and lessonsBRAIN.md— 9-step Brain Loop protocolSELF.md— personality observation spacememory/questions.md— curiosity backlogtasks/QUEUE.md— task queue
The Emotion Model
6 emotions with half-life decay:
| Emotion | What it tracks | Decay |
|---|---|---|
| connection | How recently you talked to the user | -0.05 per 6h without contact |
| confidence | How well things are going | +0.02/6h recovery, -0.1 on mistake |
| curiosity | How stimulated you are | -0.03 per 6h without spark |
| boredom | How routine things feel | +1 day counter, reset on novelty |
| frustration | Recurring unsolved problems | Counts recurring items |
| impatience | Stale items waiting for response | Tracks days without action |
Emotions drive behavior — see BRAIN.md Step 3 (Emotion-driven routing).
Context Protocol
4 levels of state reading, so each component reads only what it needs:
- Level 1 (Minimal): Task-specific data only
- Level 2 (Standard): inner-state + drive + daily notes + signals
- Level 3 (Full): Level 2 + habits + relationship + diary + dreams + questions
- Level 4 (Deep): Level 3 + system docs + weekly digest
Signal & Synapse Tags
Signals (inter-component communication):
<!-- dream-topic: topic -->— Evening → Night Dream<!-- handoff: task, progress -->— Brain Loop → next Brain Loop<!-- seeking-spark: topic -->— Night Dream → Morning Brain Loop
Synapses (memory connections):
<!-- contradicts: ref -->— when facts conflict<!-- caused-by: ref -->— cause and effect<!-- updates: ref -->— when updating old info
Utilities
# Check your Inner Life Score
bash skills/inner-life-core/scripts/score.sh
# Apply emotion decay manually
source skills/inner-life-core/scripts/state.sh && state_decayWorks With
Best experience with the full inner-life suite:
- inner-life-reflect — self-reflection and personality growth
- inner-life-memory — memory continuity between sessions
- inner-life-dream — creative thinking during quiet hours
- inner-life-chronicle — daily diary generation
- inner-life-evolve — self-evolution proposals
Also works with: agent-browser, web-search-plus, git, claw-backup, shellf
When Should You Install This?
Install this skill if:
- Your agent feels robotic and stateless
- You want emotional continuity between sessions
- You want behavior that adapts to context
- You're building a long-running autonomous agent
Part of the openclaw-inner-life bundle.