Meta
Meta is a prefix that can be added to any word to denote self-reference, recursion, and feedback loops. Whenever a concept contains some central self-referential paradox or infinite regress, it might be referred to as "totally meta."
Kurt Gödel is the patron saint of self-reference.
Meta can also represent transcendence and higher level orders of complexity, where individual actors at one level of organization create a new, self-organized fractal pattern of behavior when acting collectively.
Meta was also the name of this organization and website for nearly 20 years before certain social media crypto-bros decided it was cool.
A short list of cultural references that elicit this concept:
- Yin and Yang
- Snake eating its own tail (Ouroboros)
- Möbius strip
- Turtles All the Way Down
- The Trinity
- M.C. Escher
- Fractals
This AI-generated virtual podcast that relates the nature of reality to the Ouroboros is actually rather insightful and gives a good overview of the holistic, self-referential perspective presented in this wiki.