# Passive **Trait Number:** 8 **Layer:** Physical **Bit Position:** 8 **Binary Encoding:** `00000001 00000000 00000000 00000000` **UHT Code (self-encoding):** `01 00 00 00` --- # Icon ![[Icon8.png|200]] ## Definition The entity is **inert, non-initiating, or non-active**. It does not produce change or behavior on its own, though it may respond when acted upon. --- ## When to Apply Use this trait when the entity: - Has **no internal mechanism for autonomous action** - **Does not emit, transform, or control** on its own - Is acted upon by external forces but does not initiate them Avoid applying if the entity: - Produces **output, behavior, or internal change** independently - Initiates action, function, or interaction - Reacts in a way that constitutes **agency, computation, or regulation** --- ## Related Traits - [[10 00 00 00 - Fixed or Static]] — A passive object is often static, but not all static objects are passive (some might store energy or transform under conditions). - [[00 40 00 00 Emits output or produces effect]] — The absence of this trait often correlates with passivity. - [[00 02 00 00 Autonomous in function]] — Conceptual opposite: autonomy implies internal drive, while passivity implies total receptivity. --- ## Examples - [[93 00 00 00 - Rock]] - A resistor (as opposed to an active circuit component) - A nail in a wall - A paper sheet - A sandbox - A wall (in physical modeling) --- ## Commentary Passivity is a **foundational trait of inertness** — it marks the absence of self-driven action or transformation. Passive entities may still play important roles (e.g., structural, resistive, absorptive), but they do so **without initiating events**. Note that passivity is not about usefulness — it is about **causal agency**. Something can be extremely important yet completely passive, like a load-bearing beam or a reflective surface. --- **© 2025 Steven Holland. All rights reserved.** [[Copyright Statement]]