Intrinsic Drive Sequence Notation (IDSN)

1. The Need for a Map

As established in the Core Theory, while humans share the same physiological survival drives (like the drives for ghrelin or adenosine), our psychological needs vary in their prioritization.

One person may prioritize oxytocin (social connection) over dopamine (achievement), while another prioritizes cortisol (security) above these two. This variation is not random; it is the biological architecture of personality.

To understand an individual, we cannot simply guess. We need a precise way to map their specific hierarchy of needs. Kendara utilizes Intrinsic Drive Sequence Notation (IDSN) to code this internal landscape.

2. The Atomic Unit: Drive Symbols

In IDSN, every intrinsic drive is represented by a drive symbol. This is typically the capitalized first letter of the chemical name (e.g., D for dopamine). When disambiguation is necessary, the first few letters are used, with only the first being capitalized (e.g., Gh for ghrelin to distinguish it from G for glutamate).

While there are many drives, drives like the following five vary significantly enough in their intrinsic intensity between individuals to form the basis of personality typology.

The Typology Drives

3. The Sequence (IDS)

An IDS (Intrinsic Drive Sequence) is a list of an individual's intrinsic drives ordered by intrinsic intensity, from greatest to least.

• fIDS (Full IDS): The complete list of every drive in the human system for that individual (e.g., ...Gh...C...D...).
• pIDS (Partial IDS): Any segment taken from the full list, often used to focus on specific variable drives (e.g., DO is a pIDS showing only that dopamine is more intense than oxytocin for that person).

4. The Notation Syntax

An IDSN string is composed of two distinct parts: the Stage and the Signature.

A. The Signature

The signature represents the fixed order of drives in the individual's intrinsic map. Because we often work with limited information (pIDS), specific symbols denote our level of certainty about the order.

• Defined Order (): Parentheses indicate a known, fixed sequence. If no brackets or parentheses are present, defined order is assumed.
  • DO: Dopamine comes before Oxytocin.
  • (DO): Explicitly states Dopamine comes before Oxytocin.
• Undefined Order []: Brackets indicate that the order of the elements inside is unknown or variable.
  • [DO]: Could be DO or OD.
  • [(DO)(CV)]: The group DO and the group CV are internally fixed, but their order relative to each other is unknown (could be DOCV or CVDO).
• Gaps . and ..:
  • .: Indicates a gap of 0 or more letters between drives.
    • D.O: Could be DO, DVO, or DCSO.
  • ..: Indicates a gap of 1 or more letters between drives.
    • D..O: Could be DVO or DCSO, but not DO.

B. The Stage

While the Signature (the drives themselves) is biological and clear-cut, the Stage is a fluid scale representing the "center of gravity" of an individual's conscious focus. A person is rarely 100% in a single state; rather, the notation indicates their dominant feedback loop or position on the scale of satisfaction.

• Numeric: A number before the signature indicates the position of the current loop within the specified segment.
  • 1DO: Looping in the 1st drive listed (Dopamine).
  • 2DO: Looping in the 2nd drive listed (Oxytocin).
• Relational: Used when the exact position is unknown relative to the segment.
  • <DO: Looping in a drive earlier (higher intensity) than Dopamine.
  • >DO: Looping in a drive later (lower intensity) than Oxytocin.
• Special States:
  • -: Transition State. The individual is between loops.
  • u: Unnoeia. The individual has satisfied their drives and broken all feedback loops.
    • uDO: A Dopamine-Oxytocin type currently in a state of Unnoeia.

5. Practical Application

Understanding your IDSN is a diagnostic tool for well-being.

1. Breaking Loops: If you feel a vague sense of dissatisfaction, knowing your IDSN tells you where to look. If you are a DS type and you have satisfied the dopamine drive but still feel empty, IDSN predicts that the serotonin drive is likely the next active loop demanding attention.
2. Self-Reflection & Empathy: IDSN provides a precise language to articulate why we do what we do. It allows us to understand our own motivations and recognize that the differing priorities of those around us are not character flaws, but distinct biological architectures.
3. Founding Ethics: Most importantly, IDSN provides the necessary data for truly ethical decision-making. It serves as the foundation for CELA, Kendara's engineered ethical framework for calculating and optimizing well-being based on individual biological reality.