As you can see, /usr/local/bin/.. has the same inode number as /usr/local! Here's how can we come to grips with this shocking revelation. In the past, we've considered /usr/local to be the directory itself. Now, we discover that inode 5120 is in fact the directory, and we have found two directory entries (called "links") that point to this inode. Both /usr/local and /usr/local/bin/.. are links to inode 5120. Although inode 5120 exists in only one place on disk, multiple things link to it.