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20ParadoxesThatGiveUsWisdomandPerspective

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Paradoxesmayseemlogicallyimpossible,buttheyreoftentrue.Paradoxesrevealtheessenceofthehumancondition,whilepushingustoquestionwhatsreallytrue.Fromeverydaytipstopoignantlifelessons,paradoxescanteachushowtonavigatetheworldinawiserfashion.

Thebestthingsinlifearefree.

Weveallheardthisphrase,butitssomewhatparadoxical.Mostofthetime,wehavetopayforvalue.Themorevaluablesomethingis,thehigheritcosts.Butmanyofthemostsatisfyingthingsinlifecantbebought.Theyarefreelyavailabletoanyonewhoiswiseenoughtoseekthemout.

Takeaway:Dontgetcaughtupinchasingmaterialpossessions.

Themorechoiceswehave,themoreparalyzedwebecome.

Intodaysworld,weoftenthinkthathavingeverythingatourfingertipsmakeslifeeasier.Insomewaysitdoes.However,whenfacedwithamultitudeofchoicesweoftenbecomestressedandunabletomakeadecision.

Takeaway:Dontdriveyourselfcrazywithwhat-ifs.Justdowhatyouthinkisbest.

Stoplookingforhappinessifyouwanttofindit.

OftenreferredtoastheParadoxofHedonism,theideaisthatwetendtofindhappinesswhenwearentactivelysearching.Happinessiselusive,andwedontalwaysfinditintheplaceswedexpect.Happinessisntaplace,butratherastate.Takeaway:Lethappinesscometoyouwhenitsready.

Thebestideascomewhenyourethinkingaboutsomethingelse.

InventorPhiloT.Farnsworthpurportedlycameupwiththeideafortelevisionwhileplowingapotatofield.Amongsmartandsuccessfulpeople,thesepeculiarstoriesarecommon.Greatthinkersthinkabstractly,leadingtheirmindstoconnectseeminglyunrelatedthings.

Takeaway:Ifyoureeverrunningdryofideas,trydoingsomethingcompletelyunrelatedtothetask.

T

Wedontappreciatewhatwehaveuntilitsgone.

Itisanunfortunatetendency,butsometimeswecantrecognizethevalueofsomethinguntilwenoticeitsabsence.Youprobablywouldntbethankfulforyourroofunlessitcollapsedoneday.Ittakesefforttoappreciatewhatyoualreadyhavebecauseitshardtoimaginelifewithoutit.

Takeaway:Consciouslykeepingtrackofwhatyouregratefulforisagreatwaytostayhumble.

Themoreyoumultitask,thelessyougetdone.

Researchhasshownthatthehumanabilitytomultitaskistechnicallynonexistent.Wellthatsembarrassing.Allthistimewethoughtwewerebeingmoreproductive,butourbrainscanonlyfocusononethingatatime.Soifyouaremultitasking,youmayjustbedoinglotsofthingspoorlyorpartially.

Takeaway:Putyourindividualfocusandeffortintoimportantprojects.

Yougetwhatyougive.

Whenpeoplearegenerous,theynaturallyattractthegenerosityofothers.

Peoplewhoareselfishandalwayslookingoutforthemselvesrepelgenerosity.

Kindnessandselfishnessdoesntgounnoticed.

Takeaway:Begenerous.Givetoothersandyouwonthavetoworryaboutreceiving.

Themoreyoutrytocontrolasituation,thelesscontrolyouhave.

Everyoneknowsacontrolfreakortwo,andyoumayhaveevenseenfirsthandhowultraplanningcanbackfire.Mostthingsinlifeareuncontrollable,andwhenwetrytoohardwecanactuallymakethingsworse.Theonlythingwecandefinitelycontrolisourselves.

Takeaway:Thebestwaytohandlesituationsistoacceptchangeandadapttoit.

Thethingsthatdeeplymoveusdontexist.

PhilosopherscallittheParadoxofFiction.Humanshavealwaysbeenaffectedbystories,art,andliterature.Wecanbeinfluencedandinspiredbycharactersthatarentrealandeventsthatneveroccurred.Whyisitthatsomeofourstrongestandmostprofoundemotionalreactionsaredrivenbythingsthatneverexisted?

Takeaway:Fictionhasthepowertochangereality.Nowgoreadabook!

Insanityisrational.

Astudyshowedthatcertainmentalillnessesmayallowpeopletobemorelogicalthantheaverageperson.Whengivenaquizfulloflogicquestions,schizophrenicparticipantsperformedfarbetterthanparticipantswithouttheillness.

Takeaway:Neverunderestimatesomeonejustbecausetheyredifferentfromyou.

Thelongeryousleep,themoretiredyouarewhenyouwakeup.

Whyisitthatsometimeswesleep5hoursandwakeuprefreshed,whileothertimeswesleep10hoursandwakeupfeelinglikeaplanehitus?Thisisacommonproblem,particularlyforpeoplewhogetlittlesleeponweekdaysandtoomuchsleeponweekends.Thishappenswhenyourcircadianrhythmisthrownoff.

Takeaway:Adoptasteadysleeproutinetofeelmoreenergetic.

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Wecanonlychangewhenweacceptwhoweare.

ThecuriousparadoxisthatwhenIacceptmyselfjustasIam,thenIcanchange.-CarlRogers

Whenwespendourtimeandenergyhatingourselvesandwishingwecouldchange,itusesuptheenergythatwecouldbeusingtochange.

Takeaway:Acceptyourselfandworkhard.Changewillcomenaturally.

Thefasteryourunfromyourproblems,thequickertheycatchup.

Sureyoucanrunaway,travelacrosstheworld,orbackpackthroughEurope.Butifyourmaingoalforleavingistosolveproblems,youwillendupdisappointed.Mostproblemsarisefromwhoweare,notwhereweare.Ifyourun,yourbaggagewillberighttherewithyou.

Takeaway:Faceyourproblemsheadonsotheydontbecomeworse.

Theinstitutionsthatteachusequipustoquestionthoseinstitutions.

Theparadoxofeducationisthatasonebeginstobecomeconsciousonebeginstoexaminethesocietyinwhichheisbeingeducated.-JamesBaldwin.Whileweneedinstitutionstoteachus,theyoftenteachusbestaboutthethingswerejectorwanttochangeaboutthem.

Takeaway:Learnallyoucanfromothers,butthinkforyourself.

Wecaneatmoreandloseweight?

Ifyouareoverweightandconsistentlydietingwithapieceoflettuceforbreakfast,lunch,anddinner,youmayactuallybecontributingtotheproblem.Under-eatingcanslowyourmetabolism,meaninglessenergyconsumedandlessburned.Aslongasyourdietiscleanandhealthy,frequentmealsarethewaytoTakeaway:Eatoftenandeatrealfoodtostayhealthy.

Ifyouwantafastercommute,shutdownatrafficroute.

Namedafterthemathematicianwhodiscoveredit,PBrraessxreferstotheoddphenomenonthatoccurswhentownsblockoffamainroad.Onewouldthinkthatthiswouldworsentraffic,butitoftenimprovesit.Sincefasterroutesbecomemoreattractivetodrivers,thiscanincreasecommutetimesforeveryone,eventhoseonotherroutes.

Takeaway:Donrelyonshortcuts,theytarenvayswhattheyseem.

Ifyouwanttofindlove,stoplooking.

Iwalkedintothecoffeeshop,expectingtomeetmytruelove,andtherehewas!Haveyoueverheardsomeonesaythis?tDndnso.Thatbecausewetendtofallforpeoplewhenweexpectit.Althoughdifficultforlonelypeople,itissmartertobepatientratherthandesperatelysearchforsoulmate.

Takeaway:Beyourself,dowhatyoudo,andtherightpersonwillnaturallycom(along.

Themoreyouwaitthelongerthingstake.

Whohasntsatinmathclass,staringpainfullyattheclockasitslowlyticksforward?Althoughisonlyaperception,themoreconsciouswaitingwedo,thelongerthingsoftenseemtotake.Timefliesrehehavyogifun,soyouarebetterofftryingtomakethebestoflongdivisionwhileyourestuckdoingit

Takeaway:Trytomakethemostoutofthingsyoudislike.Itwillonlymakethempassquicker.

Peoplewhotalkthemostsaytheleast.

Thereisalongstandingsuspicionthatchatterboxestalkalotandsaylittle,whichissometimestrue.Whilepackedwithverbi