The second manifestation of hysteresis is iteration, to be understood as a property not of being, but of becoming. Consider, by way of example, a natural process such as the transmission of the genetic code; an artifactual process such as the splintering of a flint; and a cultural process such as the formation of a language or ritual. In each of these cases we are dealing with a succession of repeated acts (the copying of the code, the repeated percussion of the flint, the iteration of certain gestures or certain sounds). Little by little, each of these iterations gives rise to a being, both in the form of praxis, i.e. of action (for example, a ritual dance or a conversational exchange), and in that of poiesis, i.e. of production (the genesis of a life form, an arrowhead, a literary work or a legal code). The characteristic of acts, inasmuch as they are repeated, is therefore once again a variant of hysteresis, which in this case is the iteration of an act that is characterised by a competence not necessarily (indeed, only very rarely) accompanied by understanding. Both nature and technology as well as society operate by iteration much more than by understanding, which is why they are emerging structures and not the result of a divine or human construction that follows an intelligent design or some form of intentionality.

Becoming equals being iterated. What is iteration? Hegel wrote that meaning can only arise if something happens at least twice: ‘Einmal ist keinmal’, once is the same as never. For example, it could be a message sent by mistake, or containing an error, which is why when we subscribe to some service they ask us to confirm our email address. But, beyond this obvious practical function, iteration hides a metaphysical power that is not always taken into due account, and which acquires particular relevance at a time when technology, which is first of all iteration, has acquired unprecedented evidence, even though of course it has always been both in us and outside us, since we are intrinsically technological animals.