vicious circle
Problem feeding itself
A vicious circle is a situation where one problem causes another, which in turn worsens the original problem, creating a self-reinforcing cycle of deterioration: Poverty leads to poor education, which limits job prospects, which perpetuates poverty—a vicious circle.
Also called a vicious cycle.
The opposite is a virtuous circle, where positive effects compound.
Self-modifying cyclical process
- snowball effectAccelerating cumulative increase
- downward spiralSelf-reinforcing deterioration
- spiralCurve winding around center
- compoundCombined into one
exacerbate · worsen · aggravate · intensify · amplify · perpetuate · reinforce · self-perpetuating
feedback loop
Self-modifying cyclical process
- snowball effectAccelerating cumulative increase
- downward spiralSelf-reinforcing deterioration
- spiralCurve winding around center
compound · exacerbate · worsen · aggravate · intensify · amplify · perpetuate · reinforce · self-perpetuating · chain reaction
trap
Device for catching animals
stuck · inescapable · deadlock · impasse · predicament · bind · catch-22 · stalemate · gridlock · morass
- futilityfutile, futility, in vain, pointlessness, vain
- Self-referenceself-reference, self-referential, recursion, recursive, meta
- impassesimpasse, deadlock, stalemate, standstill, gridlock
- predicamentspredicament, dilemma, bind, pickle, pinch
- fallaciesstraw man, red herring, circular reasoning, ad hominem, fallacy
- chicken-or-egg problemscausal loop, first cause
vicious circlevirtuous circle
Self-sustaining beneficial pattern
virtuous cycle · upward spiral · snowball effect · momentum · rising tide
vicious circlevirtuous circle
Self-sustaining beneficial pattern
blessing in disguise · silver lining · grace · redemption arc · healing process