Background for paradoxes

paradoxes

/ˈpærədɒksɪz/ /ˈpærəˌdɒksɪz/

Illustration paradoxes - Image 1

noun

An apparently self-contradictory statement, which can only be true if it is false, and vice versa.

Examples :

""This sentence is false" is a paradox."

philosophy logic statement literature linguistics mind

Illustration paradoxes - Image 1

noun

A counterintuitive conclusion or outcome.

Examples :

"It is an interesting paradox that drinking a lot of water can often make you feel thirsty."

philosophy logic theory mind

Illustration paradoxes - Image 1

noun

A claim that two apparently contradictory ideas are true.

Examples :

"One of the biggest paradoxes of parenting is that you have to let your children fail in order to help them succeed. "

philosophy logic language theory mind

Illustration paradoxes - Image 1

noun

A thing involving contradictory yet interrelated elements that exist simultaneously and persist over time.

Examples :

"One of the common paradoxes of parenting is that you want your children to be independent, but you also worry about them leaving home. "

philosophy logic theory mind being

Illustration paradoxes - Image 1

noun

A person or thing having contradictory properties.

Examples :

"He is a paradox; you would not expect him in that political party."

philosophy logic literature mind statement abstract being

Illustration paradoxes - Image 1

noun

An unanswerable question or difficult puzzle, particularly one which leads to a deeper truth.

Examples :

"Understanding the paradoxes of time travel, such as wondering what happens if you prevent your own birth, can lead to deeper thinking about cause and effect. "

philosophy logic mind theory abstract

Illustration paradoxes - Image 1

noun

A statement which is difficult to believe, or which goes against general belief.

Examples :

"One of the paradoxes of school is that sometimes you have to fail a test to learn the material well. "

philosophy logic statement mind

Illustration paradoxes - Image 1

noun

The use of counterintuitive or contradictory statements (paradoxes) in speech or writing.

Examples :

"The politician's speech was full of paradoxes; he promised to lower taxes while increasing government services. "

language writing literature philosophy logic communication

Illustration paradoxes - Image 1

noun

A state in which one is logically compelled to contradict oneself.

Examples :

"The student's claim that he always tells the truth was full of paradoxes; if he always tells the truth, is that statement itself a lie? "

logic philosophy mind statement

Illustration paradoxes - Image 1

noun

The practice of giving instructions that are opposed to the therapist's actual intent, with the intention that the client will disobey or be unable to obey.

Examples :

"The teacher's paradoxes in the classroom, like assigning extra homework to students who did exceptionally well, sometimes backfired, confusing and frustrating the students. "