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> "your parents and your parents' ancestors"

That's recursive, not circular. These are not the same thing despite being closely related. Recursive definitions are useful. Circular ones are not.

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I was using the definition you gave for “circular”

Do you really need me to explain the distinction between "circular" and "recursive", and the nature of HN comments as an informal medium with an audience that generally does understand these things and does not need to have them explicitly called out?

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