20 paradoxical life truths that everyone should remember

1. The more we dislike a certain trait in others, the higher the likelihood that we avoid it in ourselves
2. People who don't trust anyone are not trustworthy themselves
3. The more we try to impress people, the less they like us
4. The more often we fail, the more surely we will achieve success
5. The more we are afraid of something, the more likely it is that it needs to be done
6. The more we fear death, the less we enjoy life
7. The more we learn, the more we understand, how little we know
8. The less we care about others, the less we care about ourselves
9. The more opportunities we have for communication, the more lonely we feel
10. The more we fear failure, the higher the likelihood of failure
11. The more we try, the more difficult the task will seem
12. The more accessible a thing, the less attractive it seems to us
13. The best way to meet someone is not to look for anyone
14. The more we admit our shortcomings, the more people think that we do not have them
15.The more we try to hold someone, the more we push them away
16. The more we argue, the less chance we have to convince the interlocutor
17. The more options we have, the less satisfied we are with the decision we made
18. The more we are convinced that we are right, the less we know
19. The only thing you can be sure of is that nothing can be sure
20. The only thing that remains unchanged is change

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

At first glance, some statements seem contradictory and even impossible, but in practice they are confirmed over and over again.

Here are 20 paradoxes that, oddly enough, work.

1. The more we dislike a certain trait in others, the higher the likelihood that we avoid it in ourselves

The renowned psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung believed that the qualities that annoy us in other people are in fact a reflection of those qualities that we deny in ourselves. For example, those who are dissatisfied with their weight will notice plump people everywhere. And people in financial difficulties will criticize those who earn a lot. Sigmund Freud called this projection. Most would just call it "being a jerk."

2. People who don't trust anyone are not trustworthy themselves

People who constantly feel insecure about relationships are more likely to undermine them themselves. After all, we often try to protect ourselves from pain by being the first to hurt others.

3. The more we try to impress people, the less they like us

Nobody likes those who try too hard.

4. The more often we fail, the more surely we will achieve success

Edison created over 10,000 incandescent lamp designs before devising a successful one. And you've probably heard many more stories like this. Success comes when we correct and improve, and we have to correct when we fail.

5. The more we are afraid of something, the more likely it is that it needs to be done

Except in truly life-threatening situations, our fight-or-flight instinct is usually triggered when we are confronted with past trauma or actions that make us uncomfortable. For example, we usually have a hard time talking to an attractive person, calling someone with a job request, speaking in public, starting a business, expressing a controversial opinion, being extremely honest with someone.

6. The more we fear death, the less we enjoy life

As Anais Nin wrote: "Life shrinks and expands in proportion to your courage."

7. The more we learn, the more we understand, how little we know

Every time we learn something, we have new questions.

8. The less we care about others, the less we care about ourselves

It would seem that it should be the other way around. But people treat others the same way they treat themselves. This may not be noticed from the outside, but those who are cruel to others tend to be cruel to themselves.

9. The more opportunities we have for communication, the more lonely we feel

Despite the fact that we now have much more different means of communication, in recent decades, researchers have noted increased levels of loneliness and depression in developed countries.

10. The more we fear failure, the higher the likelihood of failure

This is also called a self-fulfilling prophecy.

11. The more we try, the more difficult the task will seem

When we expect something to be difficult, we often unconsciously complicate it ourselves.

12. The more accessible a thing, the less attractive it seems to us

We subconsciously believe that rare things are more valuable, and that which is in abundance has lower value. This is not true.

13. The best way to meet someone is not to look for anyone

We usually find the other half when we are happy with ourselves and do not need someone else to be happy.

14. The more we admit our shortcomings, the more people think that we do not have them

When we are comfortable with the fact that we are not that good, others see it as a virtue. This is one of the perks of vulnerability.

15. The more we try to hold someone, the more we push them away

This is a strong argument against jealousy: when feelings or actions become obligations, they simply become meaningless. If your partner feels compelled to be with you on the weekend, the time spent together loses all value.

16. The more we argue, the less chance we have to convince the interlocutor

Most controversy is based on emotion. They flare up when members try to change each other's minds. For the discussion to be objective, both parties must agree to leave their perceptions aside and only refer to the facts (and this is something very few people succeed in doing).

17. The more options we have, the less satisfied we are with the decision we made

This is how the well-known paradox of choice manifests itself. When we have many options, the cost of lost profits (what we lose by making this or that choice) also increases. Therefore, we are not so happy with the decision we make in the end.

18. The more we are convinced that we are right, the less we know

Meanwhile, how much a person is open to other points of view, and how much he knows about some subject, there is a direct relationship. As the English mathematician and philosopher Bertrand Russell said: "Alas, this is how light works: the dull-headed are firmly confident in themselves, and the clever are full of doubts."