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While the formal concept of applying a function that calls itself may be more familiar to someone trained in classic mathematics, everyone is somewhat familiar with while loops, from basic life things like 'while hungry, eat' or 'salt to taste -> while (not_salty_enough()): add_salt()'

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I've successfully explained a while loop to many a child, and adult, with no experience in programming, within about 5 minutes.

I'm absolutely sure the people who think tail recursion is any way similar, in complexity, to a while loop have never attempted to teach someone how to program.

add salt; not salty enough?; do same again!

The explanation is just as simple translatable, even saving one the words like "while" or "until".

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