Your brain freezes when you encounter a paradox. Something doesn’t add up. It’s not consistent.
- You are full of confidence, but constantly in doubt.
- You live a systematic life, but you want to change.
Our life is full of paradoxes. Becoming aware of paradoxes makes life easier and makes you happier. The moment you dig a paradox deeper, you get wiser.
Here are five that constantly nag me, surprise me, but every time I see them, they make me better.
Paradox of Wisdom
The more you know the more you realize how little you know. This effect even has the name “Dunning-Kruger effect”.
Paradox of Argument
The more you argue, the less you are able to persuade. To persuade someone – start from their view, listen, and ask questions. The only way they will be persuaded is when they see the reasoning themselves.
Paradox of Productivity
The more you work, the less you get done.
Work always expands to fill the time available. The more you multitask, the less you achieve. To achieve more – sprint, rest, repeat.
Paradox of Growth
Any observable growth ( in skill, money, life) takes much longer than you think. When you start, growth is almost invisible. As you keep at it, some days later you see the sprouts of growth, and then suddenly in a very short span, your growth gets exponential.
Paradox of Information
The more you are exposed to news, the less informed you are. To get real information stay away from Breaking news. At best read/watch the news once a day. Even better, weekly reviews give you a far better understanding of events than the constant real-time updates.
And finally, a bonus paradox that is really enlightening.
Paradox of Death
The more you are afraid of death, the lesser your life would be. “Memento mori” is a reminder of the inevitable. It’s not meant to be dark and sad – It’s meant to inspire the life you are living. It’s meant to let you enjoy the moment.