Although repetition might seem a spectacularly boring subject, consider its reach across all these areas: psychology (think habits and Freud’s repetition compulsion), philosophy (Heraclitus, Deleuze, Hume and Kierkegaard have all weighed in on the subject), disorders (stuttering, autism, etc.), the arts (Warhol, Philip Glass, Gertrude Stein, etc.), physiology (brain building – think of the repetition you see in children) and spirituality (mantras, rituals, the Jesus Prayer, Whirling Dervishes, etc.).

The Department of Repetition Department is written by Rick Ralston who is the author of the 2007 Adobe Press book “The Designer’s Apprentice” about graphics automation. He’s currently writing a book about repetition in humans.

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