Recursiveness
Recursiveness is a most interesting and
stimulating concept.
Something is recursive when it reflects itself or defines
itself:
- A video tape on how to produce a video tape.
- A lecture on how to give lecture.
- A newsletter about how to publish a newsletters.
Recursive things sometines are phrases that
"go without saying," and are similar to oxymorons -
such as:
- Criminal Lawyer
- Warning labels on smoking products.
- Signs, in the state of Texas, required to be posted at the
start of a construction zone that read "Obey signs. State Law."
- Dynamite cases with label that says "Exploseives."
- A bottle of acid that says "Handle with Care"
Recursive things "walk their talk."
- for example:
- This sentence no verb.
- This sentence have exactly three errers in it.
- This sentence ends with a period
- This is. An incomplete. Sentence.
As you can see, it is easier to give examples of recursiveness than it is to define it.
Examples of recursiveness
- Written or drawn recursive words (e.g. mispeled,
vooooweeeeel, rong, 5ive, 6ix, long-longer- longest)
- The letters F I S H in the shape of a fish
More Recursive Things
- Hyperlinks.
- LOOP n. see LOOP
- There are three types of people: those who know how to count,
and those who don't.
- The Judge said, "I trust your execution will teach you a
valuable lesson for your future."
- We're schizophrenic, and so are we.
- A picture of a person, taking a picture of a person, taking a
picture of the person taking a picture of a person . . .
- A store named "Buy the Book" (on the TV show
"Ellen")
- A sign that says "Ignore this sign."
- Snow on the first day of winter.
- A box of "this side up" labels in a box with a
"this side up" label.
- A color photo of a rainbow.
- A black and white photo of a zebra.
- The electrocution of a person named Thomas Edison.
- An Internet access provider called "Internet
Access."
- Hot hot-tamales.
- Cold "ice" beer.
- Your contribution to a page created from contributions from you.
- Gerry Reid Speaking
(Think about it - that is what I call my business because that is what I do! It is also
the way I answer the phone.)
Non-Recursive Things
(Many times these are also oxymorons):
- Nixon saying "I am not a crook."
- Cold hot-tamales.
- Warm "ice" beer.
- An "Intel inside" label on the outside.
- Reading this page and not contributing.
The End of the Recursiveness
Page (almost)
- This is the first sentence under Recursiveness.
- The was the first sentence under Recursiveness until the
previous sentence was added.
- Instructions on how to use help.
- An exit sign on an exit ramp.
- A discussion on what to discuss.
- Brown paper bags stored in a brown paper bag
- A person taking a picture of a person taking a picture . . .
- Taking a picture of yourself in the mirror.
- Construction zone signs in Texas that say, "Obey Warning
Signs. State Law."
- Ths sntnc cntns n vwls.
- I eeg oai o ooa.
- Is this sentence being written, being transmitted or being
read?
- I am being written.
- I am being read.
- By the time you read this sentence will be finished.
- By the time you read this sentence is finished.
- Why does this sentence make you think of a red Corvette with
wire wheels in a field of daisies, all at the same time?
- This English sentence, when translated into French, is no
longer an English sentence.
- This is not the last sentence in this section.
- Until this incomplete sentence.
- This is the last sentence in this section.
- No.
- This.
The Real End of the Recursiveness Page
(except for the footer, below)
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