# Transforms or Modifies Internal State
**Trait Number:** 12
**Layer:** Functional
**Bit Position:** 4 (bit 12 overall)
**Binary Encoding:** `00000000 00010000 00000000 00000000`
**UHT Code (self-encoding):** `00 10 00 00`
---
# Icon
![[Icon12.png|200]]
## Definition
The entity is capable of **changing its own internal condition, configuration, or stored state** as part of its operation. This includes memory, phase, structure, or any internal variable that evolves over time.
---
## When to Apply
Use this trait when the entity:
- **Remembers, stores, or evolves internally**
- Has **configurable or mutable state**
- Modifies itself in response to inputs or over time
Avoid applying if the entity:
- Is purely stateless or reset after every action
- Only alters **external** entities or outputs
- Has no meaningful concept of internal change
---
## Examples
- A register storing a value
- A chemical solution changing phase
- A toggle switch with memory
- A neural network updating weights
- A human belief system adapting over time
- A configuration file being updated
---
## Commentary
This trait encodes **self-mutability** — the capacity of an entity to **record or reflect change within itself**. It’s vital in memory systems, learning systems, and adaptive materials.
Use this trait when change is **not just output**, but **persistence or transformation of internal conditions**.
---
**© 2025 Steven Holland. All rights reserved.**
[[Copyright Statement]]