ESGR Framework — One Page Reference

A concise, normative entry point to the ESGR Framework For readers who need clarity without reading the full specification.

What ESGR Is

ESGR (Emotion–Stress–Gut–Resilience) is a non-medical reference framework for designing and interpreting human state systems.

It defines how subjective experience, objective pressure, biological regulation, and recovery capacity interact to determine whether a human system can sustainably recover under stress.

ESGR does not describe how a person feels. It describes whether recovery remains structurally possible.

What ESGR Is Not

ESGR is not:

  • A diagnostic model
  • A treatment or therapy protocol
  • A promise of improvement
  • A performance optimization system

It does not predict outcomes, cure conditions, or replace medical or psychological care.

The ESGR Axis (Minimal Complete Set)

ESGR is composed of four dimensions:

  • Emotion — subjective emotional experience and cognitive load
  • Stress — objective physiological and behavioral pressure load
  • Gut — gut–brain regulation as a biological modulation layer
  • Resilience — the nervous system's capacity to recover after stress

These dimensions form a dynamic axis, not a causal chain.

Removing any dimension creates blind spots. Adding more dimensions increases redundancy and misuse risk.

Core System Constructs

ESGR-aligned systems operate using four core constructs:

  • ERI (Emotion–Resilience Index) — long-term structural recovery capacity
  • Stress Load — cumulative demand and consumption
  • Recovery Capacity — current allowance for recovery
  • DSI (Stress Signal Index) — short-term boundary signal

These constructs:

  • Are state variables, not outcomes
  • Do not stand alone
  • Must not be used to promise results

The Four-Layer System Model

All ESGR-aligned systems must separate responsibility across four layers:

  1. Data Layer — signal ingestion without interpretation
  2. State Evaluation Layer — conservative assessment of conditions
  3. Interpretation Layer — human-readable, non-causal explanation
  4. Action Boundary Layer — determines whether any action is appropriate

No layer may collapse into another.

Responsibility Principles

ESGR Framework enforces strict responsibility boundaries:

  • Systems observe and classify — they do not improve or heal
  • Interpretation must preserve uncertainty
  • Support variables may assist conditions, never guarantee outcomes
  • Users and context own uncontrollable variables

Refusal, degradation, and silence are valid system behaviors.

What ESGR-Compliant Systems Must Never Do

An ESGR-aligned system must never:

  • Promise individual improvement
  • Predict clinical outcomes
  • Imply diagnosis or treatment
  • Transfer uncertainty into user blame

A system that violates these rules is non-compliant with ESGR Framework.

Why ESGR Exists

Human state systems fail when they:

  • Collapse complexity into scores
  • Confuse observation with intervention
  • Optimize for reassurance rather than sustainability

ESGR exists to define responsible limits — not maximal capability.

How to Use This Framework

  • As a design reference for stress, recovery, and wellbeing systems
  • As an evaluation lens for product claims and risk
  • As a shared language between engineers, designers, and reviewers

ESGR Framework is independent, non-commercial, and non-medical.

Closing Statement

A system becomes responsible not when it claims more, but when it clearly defines what it will not claim.

This is the purpose of ESGR Framework.

Cite This Page

ESGR Framework. "One Page Reference." Version 1.0.