Law 23 of Paradox

This is a simple law of nature, but one which is very handy:

Paradox is an Illusion, caused by the Limitations of our Perception

That’s it.

Early in the morning on March 4th in 2004, Adrienne and I were smoozing over coffee, and she said she was re-reading a book on “enneagrams”, a scheme presented by Gurdjieff that classifies humans into nine personality types. She said she was a Two (the Giver) and that I was a Nine (the Boss).

Well, while I like to think of myself as a warm and wonderful person, and although I have learned not to have any employees, perhaps she is right.

But that’s not the point.

The point is that we got into a discussion about how we humans are (a) all different and (b) all the same.

How can that be?

I think it’s because when we invent a Rule-O-Thumb, we’ve found a generally-useful idea that often works. Applied sensibly, these things work out for us. Even though the rules sometimes conflict.

How can the rules be true and in conflict?

I think it’s because we humans can’t see clearly. Our minds are limited. In the fullness of the Universe, were we Gods, we’d see one thing, undifferentiated.

But we can’t.

So we don’t.

So it isn’t.

See?

Perhaps we could say that the Existence of Paradox is a kind of Proof of the Limitation of our Perception. But then, perhaps were we wiser and wider, perhaps we’d say nothing at all.

There. Knowing this valuable Rule-O-Thumb, go forth and prosper.