The Question of Weight
A fundamental problem haunts digital identity: the problem of authority without ground. In traditional systems, identity is assigned, not achieved. A user exists only because a platform grants them a row in a database. This is a state of "tenancy," not sovereignty.
Autogravitas names the opposite condition: an identity that stands on its own ground. Etymologically, it fuses the Greek autos (self) with the Roman gravitas (a virtue of weight, substance, and seriousness). It is the capacity of a digital entity to be "heavy"—to possess substance that demands to be reckoned with, without needing a third party to vouch for it.
The Binary: Auto- vs. Heterogravitas
To understand Autogravitas, one must understand its binary opposite, Heterogravitas.
- Autogravitas ("Self-Weight"): Authority that is intrinsic. The identity exists and is valid because of its own structural properties (e.g., cryptographic keys held by the user, provenance logs stored in decentralized storage). It is resistant to revocation.
- Heterogravitas ("Other-Weight"): Authority that is contingent. The identity exists only because an external authority (Twitter, Google, a government) says it does. It represents "borrowed weight" that can be recalled at any moment.
Identity as Achievement
In the Autogravitas model, identity is not an assignment but an achievement. It is something forged through the accumulation of verifiable actions, contributions, and relationships. This aligns with the Vivibyte concept: a living, evolving artifact.
The "Stabit Promise"—base on the motto Quocunque Jeceris Stabit ("Whithersoever you throw it, it will stand")—captures the essence of Autogravitas. An identity with autogravitas can be "thrown" into any context or ecosystem and still maintain its validity, because its weight is internal, not context-dependent.