Literary notes about paradox (AI summary)
Literature frequently employs the term "paradox" to underscore the tension between opposing ideas and to compel readers to reexamine conventional wisdom. It is used to cast light on contradictions that might initially appear absurd yet carry a hidden truth, as when a critique of societal positions is framed through a "triple paradox" [1] or when life itself is experienced as a blend of "paradox and contradiction" [2]. Philosophical works often harness the term to set up dilemmas that seem self-contradictory—statements that on the surface defy logic but ultimately reveal deeper insights about duty or human nature [3][4]. In narratives, the deliberate use of paradox invites an exploration of ironies inherent in existence, prompting readers to appreciate that what appears nonsensical may, in fact, be a truthful reflection of life’s complexity.
- This triple paradox in Mr. Washington's position is the object of criticism by two classes of colored Americans.
— from The Souls of Black Folk by W. E. B. Du Bois - I saw life through all its paradox and contradiction of streaming eyes and mad merriment.
— from Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil by W. E. B. Du Bois - at first seemed to be a paradox, yet was afterwards ascertained to be a truth.
— from The Republic by Plato - The paradox of courage is that a man must be a little careless of his life even in order to keep it.
— from All Things Considered by G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton
