Principlev1
Track intensity over time to detect slow baseline drift that
Track intensity over time to detect slow baseline drift that daily experience cannot reveal, as gradual shifts below conscious detection threshold accumulate into significant changes.
Why This Is a Principle
Derives from Exponential Information Decay (information decays exponentially without rehearsal, extended to memory of past emotional states) and People rapidly adapt to material improvements, returning to (hedonic adaptation - humans adapt to material improvements). Gradual emotional baseline shifts are invisible day-to-day because each increment adapts before the next arrives; longitudinal tracking reveals the accumulated drift.