# sunk cost (path)

*Ordinarily means:* money or effort already spent that can't be recovered

work already spent, which sets no wall and yet is treated as one

- Computed level: L15 (depth in the emergence graph, not abstraction)
- Status: review  ·  Domain: path dependence

## Emergence
**Emerges from:** [work](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-work.effort), [loss](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-loss.economic), [parameter](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-parameter.condition), [window](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-window.range), [wall](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-wall.range-end), [model](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-model.representation), [self-model](https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-self-model.reflexive)

**Through:** self-model treats spent work as a wall, though it sets none

**Novel properties:**
- cognitive trap of false necessity

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*Canonical: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-sunk-cost.path*  
*Structured data: https://emergencemachine.com/tools/lexicon/what-is-the-meaning-of-sunk-cost.path.json*  
*Every definition provably resolves to space, time, energy and pattern.*