Paradoxes are present all around us to question our way of thinking and more generally, the understanding and way we perceive the world.
Let's focus on these problems that defy all logic but that have been present for many years.
Paradox: definition
Paradox is an idea, a proposition, a supposition, which may appear to be logical at first glance, but which nevertheless includes certain areas of contradiction, or which leads to a result that may be unexpected. Paradoxes may seem incomprehensible to us, and are present in many sectors, ranging from philosophy to literature, through the social sciences or economics and even in some cases in the political world.
However, paradoxes have several issues and objectives.
Objectives
In all fields of activity, the notion of paradox has multiple objectives.
On the one hand, in the academic field, it allows us to deepen our thinking, to make it more interesting. Indeed, as we said above, paradoxes correspond to a kind of questioning of certain evidence. It forces the mind to have other ideas, to think about something else, differently.
In the university field in particular, paradoxes can be used to stimulate the reflection of students or candidates for various competitions. For younger students, it's about highlighting simpler paradoxes, so they can assess the problems from a different perspective.
In addition, in other sectors, such as medicine, law or philosophy, knowing how to highlight paradoxes can make it possible to understand certain forms of contradictions, problems of logic or problems of diagnosis. Thanks to the establishment of the paradox, problems can finally find more coherent solutions.
Finally, in companies or in all fields, understanding paradoxes can generate new creativity and innovations in essential sectors.
The challenges
In the most complex fields, the very notion of paradox is very complicated to understand. The interpretations can be different, both depending on the subject, but also on the individual who defines them. There is a lot of ambiguity in the notion of paradox, with sometimes a certain number of possible hypotheses.
For some people, paradoxes are always incomprehensible, they are an impossible problem to solve.
Areas of use
Thus, the concept of paradox can be used in several fields.
In literature, it can be used a lot, especially by writers. In plays, we find a lot of them. The authors use the notions of paradox to enrich their narrative, make it more complex and a fortiori more interesting.
In literature, it is very common, and even in cinema for that matter, to find the very famous paradox of the antihero, this character who is both good and bad, and who manages to attract the sympathy of the reader or the spectator.
In psychology, paradox is widely used to better understand the behavior of individuals in each circumstance. We talk about double constraints, to provide solutions to diagnoses.
In the business world, the notion of paradox is also used, to show that buyers can have very contradictory behaviors about spending and saving.
In the area of savings, when consumers decide to save and then spend, there is a decrease in economic life, a decrease in purchases. The economy is declining, and so this reduces the savings that are called global savings. This is called a paradox.
The paradox also occurs when five people decide collectively, but at the base, this decision will not suit anyone. Individuals will take it only so that peace remains in the group.
In the scientific field, paradox is also very present, to test theories, such as set theory, and the very famous Russell paradox.
In philosophy, there are recognized paradoxes, such as Zeno, which explore notions such as love, time, space and infinity.
In the case of Achilles and the tortoise, it is movement that is put forward in a problem. It is a question of taking the time to think far beyond what is obvious. High school students learn to do this during their studies, and then it is widely developed at university or in the context of more academic research.
Concrete examples
In the field of new technologies, and more specifically artificial intelligence, the paradox also exists.
If we rely on the problem of processing and decision-making, for example, if a machine receives a certain programming to reveal only the truth. However, let's admit that at some point she must hide information, to save either a life, a company or something else. How can we act?
The paradoxes of artificial intelligence often highlight questions related to ethics, because ethics is a very present issue in this field. When AI helps students in their research, it can also carry out an entire work for them, hence the questioning of paradox and ethics.
Another example of everyday life
Individuals, in their everyday lives, can experience paradoxes.
When a consumer wants to buy a smartphone in a store, specialized or not, the overflow of choice can ultimately slow down his decision and lead to a non-purchase. Still, it should be the opposite, he has a lot of choices, so he can choose more freely and informedly.
In this case, the notion of paradox will also be different depending on the individual. For some, too many choices block them, and for others, they make it easier for them to make decisions.
When people wait for something, the time seems longer, but it doesn't.
Conclusion
The paradox therefore appears in many areas, and even those arising from everyday life. Even today, the paradox appears fascinating, extraordinary for many people, and especially for researchers all over the world.
Indeed, as we have seen in this article, paradox really pushes individuals to their limits, it forces them to think differently, to test their own limits in a world filled with complexity, regardless of the field.
To this end, paradoxes are present in science, but not only, since they are exploited and studied in many fields, such as literature and cinema but also philosophy and social sciences.
In any case, the paradoxes are not necessarily there to be resolved, even if many specialists try. They have a discovery value.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/paradox
https://www.scribophile.com/academy/what-is-a-paradox
https://www.britannica.com/art/paradox-literature