Counter-loop

Look for the force already pushing back against the loop, how strong it is, and when it kicks in. Every runaway loop has a brake somewhere, and naming it tells you whether the pattern grows forever or settles at a ceiling.

Look for the force already pushing back against the loop, how strong it is, and when it kicks in. Every runaway loop has a brake somewhere, and naming it tells you whether the pattern grows forever or settles at a ceiling.

Example

In the email case, the brake is exhaustion. Past roughly 150 messages a day you stop replying for two days, senders route around you, and volume dips. That caps the loop at burnout level rather than ending it.