> Artificial keys are an anti-pattern. (And, btw, there's a dearth of literature on why artificial keys are an anti-pattern.) Why, in specific, are artificial

> Artificial keys are an anti-pattern. (And, btw, there's a dearth of literature on why artificial keys are an anti-pattern.) Why, in specific, are artificial keys an anti-pattern? Seems like they preemptively solve problems. For example, using an SSN as a "natural" primary key is both a potential security nightmare and a data normalization nightmare if someone shows up with two or more SSNs, which does happen. (Yes. Yes. My great uncle had at least two SSNs. You won't convince me it can't happen.) Similarly for other "natural" data which isn't bound to obey the properties DBAs need for primary keys.