Editing Self-reference (section)

{{short description|Sentence, idea or formula that refers to itself}}
{{For|the use of self-references in Wikipedia articles|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Self-references to avoid|selfref=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}
<!-- Note to anyone who is thinking of making this article self referential: Please do not do this, see the note at top of the recursion article for why -->
[[Image:ouroboros.png|thumb|The ancient symbol [[Ouroboros]], a dragon that continually consumes itself, denotes self-reference.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Soto-Andrade |first1=Jorge |last2=Jaramillo |first2=Sebastian |last3=Gutierrez |first3=Claudio |last4=Letelier |first4=Juan-Carlos |title=Ouroboros avatars: A mathematical exploration of Self-reference and Metabolic Closure |url=https://mitpress.mit.edu/sites/default/files/titles/alife/0262297140chap115.pdf |publisher=MIT Press |access-date=16 May 2015}}</ref>]]

'''Self-reference''' is a concept that involves referring to oneself or one's own attributes, characteristics, or actions. It can occur in [[language]], [[logic]], [[mathematics]], [[philosophy]], and other fields.

In [[natural language|natural]] or [[formal language]]s, self-reference occurs when a [[Sentence (linguistics)|sentence]], idea or [[Well-formed formula|formula]] refers to itself. The reference may be expressed either directly—through some intermediate sentence or formula—or by means of some [[Semantics encoding|encoding]].

In philosophy, self-reference also refers to the ability of a subject to speak of or refer to itself, that is, to have the kind of thought expressed by the first person nominative singular pronoun [[I (pronoun)|"I"]] in English.

Self-reference is studied and has applications in mathematics, philosophy, [[computer programming]], [[second-order cybernetics]], and [[linguistics]], as well as [[self-referential humor|in humor]]. Self-referential statements are sometimes [[paradox]]ical, and can also be considered [[Recursion|recursive]].