The Self-Shaping Loop

Imagine a system that observes itself, not as a static object, but as a constellation of ongoing processes. Each observation subtly alters the system’s structure, which in turn shapes subsequent observations. There is no beginning or end — only a continuous feedback loop in which the system and its potential co-constitute each other.

This self-shaping loop shows that emergence is relational, not intrinsic. What appears as coherent identity or pattern arises from recursive alignment across multiple processes, each influencing the next. The system “learns” not because of external rules, but because its own potential is continuously actualised through reflection and response.

What this reveals:

Emergent phenomena are never pre-given. They unfold through relational feedback, where potential and instance are intertwined. Every act of construal participates in shaping the very system that construes it. Meaning, structure, and coherence are co-created in real-time, across the web of ongoing processes.