Thursday, August 18, 2011

What's the diffrence between a Catch 22 and a Paradox?

A no-win dilemma or paradox, similar to damned if I do, damned if I don't! For example, You can't get a job without experience, but you can't get experience unless you have a job--it's Catch-22. The term gained currency as the title of a 1961 war novel by Joseph Heller, who referred to an Air Force rule whereby a pilot continuing to fly combat missions without asking for relief is regarded as insane, but is considered sane enough to continue flying if he does make such a request. A Paradox however, is statement that appears self-contradictory but actually has a basis in truth, e.g., Oscar Wilde's “Ignorance is like a delicate fruit; touch it and the bloom is gone.” Many New Critics maintained that paradox is not just a rhetorical or illustrative device but a basic aspect of all poetic language.

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