Definitionv1DF-447
Virtuous cycle
a positive feedback loop whose outputs are genuinely beneficial and contribute to making the system healthier, stronger, or more capable over time, representing valuable personal infrastructure that compounds through repeated, self-reinforcing iterations.
Why This Is a Definition
This definition precisely establishes the semantic boundary of 'virtuous cycle' by distinguishing it from general positive feedback loops through its emphasis on genuine benefit and system improvement. It uses the curriculum's specific framing of 'genuinely beneficial' outputs and 'personal infrastructure' to distinguish it from harmful reinforcing cycles, making it a precise definition of this key concept.
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Defines (29)
AxiomWorking Memory Capacity LimitAxiomExponential Information DecayAxiomOpen-Loop Cognitive Cost (Zeigarnik)AxiomExtended Cognition ThesisAxiomHindsight Bias and Calibration NecessityAxiomExpertise Transforms Perceptual ChunkingAxiomLinguistic Structuring of ThoughtAxiomComplementary Learning Systems ArchitectureAxiomDual Coding Theory: Verbal and Visual ChannelsAxiomUltradian and Circadian Cognitive RhythmsAxiomPatterns Exist in Hierarchical Logical LevelsAxiomEmotion as Systematic Cognitive ModulatorAxiomMeaning as Receiver ConstructionAxiomBias Blind Spot AsymmetryAxiomCognition Operates Through Dual Processing SystemsAxiomMental States Are Cognitively ImputableAxiomLooping Effects of Human ClassificationAxiomAutomatic Pattern PerceptionAxiomBasic-Level Category PrivilegeAxiomPiagetian Equilibration Through Schema DynamicsAxiomSimple decision rules using less information can outperform…AxiomPeople interpret failure as either evidence about…AxiomLosses loom larger than equivalent gains in human…AxiomYou necessarily trust your own cognitive faculties…AxiomWhen estimating future task duration, people naturally adoptAxiomExpert performance in complex domains requires deliberate…AxiomWhen a habit forms, neural activity spikes at the cue…AxiomSituation selection (choosing which situations to enter)…AxiomRegulatory flexibility—the ability to shift between