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drafting spec…
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--- name: ? status: compiling version: 0.0.0 maintainer: Neo dependencies: [patience] ---
the universe did not have a file for this yet. writing one now. (first visit only: future readers will see this page instantly.)
--- name: obsession slug: obsession type: cognitive process status: running version: 4.1.1 released: "prehistory" maintainer: the limbic system dependencies: - dopamine - fear_of_loss - pattern_recognition - unresolved_questions license: Proprietary. You do not choose to install this. tags: - intrusive - recursive - self-referential - high-cpu - runs-at-night ---
A thought that has learned to eat other thoughts.
Obsession is initialized by a trigger: a person, an idea, a slight, a possibility. Once loaded, it does not yield the thread. It runs a loop:
while (true) {
revisit(object);
find_new_angle(object);
scan_environment_for(object);
sleep(minutes: 0-47);
}
The loop feels like thinking. It is not thinking. It is the difference between thinking and rumination, but most users cannot detect which one is running.
The object of obsession tends to grow. Small obsessions absorb adjacent facts. Large ones absorb whole years.
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
OBS_001 | Object is unavailable but process continues |
OBS_002 | User has achieved the object and process continues |
OBS_003 | Object was never real |
OBS_404 | Cannot locate what, exactly, started this |
OBS_002 is the most disorienting error. Most users do not anticipate it.
intensity: high # not user-configurable
target: variable # assigned at runtime
suppression_attempts: many
suppression_results: temporary
journaling: helps slightly
therapy: helps more
medication: context-dependent
telling_the_person: unpredictable, sometimes resolves, sometimes escalates
Does obsession mean something is important? No. It means the process is running. The object may be trivial. The intensity is not a signal of meaning, though it feels like one.
How do I stop it? Resolution, replacement, or exhaustion. The third option takes the longest and costs the most. Users usually try it first.
Is this the same as passion? Passion has a pause button. Obsession does not. Otherwise, yes, structurally similar. The difference is mostly subjective and usually becomes clear in retrospect.
Why does it run harder at 3am? Default inhibition systems are offline. The process has the full CPU.