---
slug: "Care"
name: "Care"
type: "Primitives"
layer: "Infrastructure"
ref: "Care#8b8f"
sema_id: "sema:Care#mh:SHA-256:8b8f5e78e6b66790e450d7ff0ed3a757248423b4f63d00879d1b26c7ff333661"
tags: ["Infrastructure","Primitives"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json
url: https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/Care/
related: ["Entropy","Value","Work","Gardener"]
---

# Care

Non-transactional maintenance energy

Layer: Infrastructure · Category: Primitives

## Mechanism

The application of [Work](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Work.md) to reduce a target's [Entropy](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Entropy.md) without an explicit [Value](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Value.md) extraction. It creates a buffer against volatility.

## Invariants

- Reduces the target's [Entropy](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Entropy.md).
- Requires [Work](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Work.md); it is not free.
- Extracts no [Value](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Value.md) from the target in return.

## Failure modes

- Transactional drift: the carer begins expecting return, which makes it an exchange rather than care.
- Unsustainable upkeep: entropy is reduced at a Work cost the carer cannot maintain.

## Builds on

- [Entropy](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Entropy.md) (Physics; References)
- [Value](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Value.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Work](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Work.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Used by

- [Gardener](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Gardener.md) (Society; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:Care#mh:SHA-256:8b8f5e78e6b66790e450d7ff0ed3a757248423b4f63d00879d1b26c7ff333661`
- Ref: `Care#8b8f`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:Care#mh:SHA-256:cdfae572389ee7b84aa847b9320c072053f25827a7b06891cb08cd8d18aef40b`
  - `sema:Care#mh:SHA-256:413702da5928490b73e9aad2760480d231f2c40cf4c30a7d298ab118581ff20c`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/Care/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.world/bootstrap/#Care)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap/Care.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.world/scapes/bootstrap.json)