March 27, 2008
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It’s that time again. The parathon rolls on.
Generally, most people hold the assumption that they are right. The way people go through life is with the underlying presupposition that they are right in what they think, say, and do. Who goes through life thinking they are wrong about everything?
At the same time, we also continually learn that we were wrong about things which we had previously thought we were right. In short, we learn that we were incorrect. And yet, we also still hold the assumption that we are completely correct.
Both these statements then emerge as being thought true by people: ‘I am right about everything’ and ‘I continually learn that I am wrong.’ Thus the paradox.
This particular phenomenon could also possibly be described as an instance of doublethink. Many times people will (double)think, “It’s possible that I’m wrong….but I’m not.”
Wow! Paradoxes are everywhere. It seems the world is turning more into paradoxland everyday!
Comments (5)
I don’t know, I don’t think this is as compelling a paradox as the other two, mainly because I don’t believe people always think they are right. Sure, some people do, but that strikes me as a function of their personalities. Other people are so insecure by nature that they’re constantly second-guessing themselves. People also sometimes become more flexible as they grow older, more open to the idea that they might be wrong, more willing to explore and learn new things.
@hilary -
Oh, yes, this is a definitely dodgeable paradox. In fact, I was thinking of including a counterexample I know of. There is an extremely influential British New Testament scholar named N.T. Wright, and he has actually openly admitted that probably 1/3 of his conclusions are wrong…he just doesn’t know which third. Haha!
But what about the doublethink? I think this can hardly be denied, that people try to say ‘I might be wrong’ while affirming ‘But I’m not wrong.’ Seems like doublethink to me!
sounds like George Bush to me
indeed
or perhaps, rather than the world becoming more of a paradoxland, you are having an ever-raising consciousness about life’s contradictions and relativity. perhaps.
i dig this.