Like all our true concepts, "nothing is a paradox". And "'nothing is a paradox ' is a paradox", ... The endless chain - viscous or virtuous cycles - is a sure o paradox.
What I found interesting - as a real metaphor -, is that the town or castle gate called "eye of the needle", was a small, hidden, not easy to spot gate. This gate was used during sieges to slip out at night, without being seen by the enemy and return - if required. Because only one man could enter, it was easy to defend. So a camel - or a man on horse - couldn't pass.
And now the funny part: these types of gates are also called "Aha"; being used to surprise enemies. Dealing with paradoxes - a gate that's not a gate - also involves "aha". And laughter is often the response, releasing the tension, to a paradoxical situation. Like the answer to your riddle.
Thank you, Jan. I had never really thought of it in those terms, but have for some time examined two aspects to belief: one, that God's kingdom and Satan's kingdom, so often depicted as opposites (one, up there; the other, down there) are indeed in essence such opposites: love others, versus love yourself; the Christian cross, upright, the Petrine, and more recently Satanic, cross, upside down. It is these "contrasts" that led me initially to explore what the scriptures actually mean; and I never for a moment considered that I needed to study divinity to do that, because I reasoned ab initio that God cannot have intended that a divinity degree was needed to be able to follow Him. The other aspect is the fact that we analyse God in terms of how we analyse ourselves, and I'm not sure that that makes sense. Those have been the starting points of my explorations.
Now you have introduced me to the notion of paradox; and I find your exposition on the matter a challenge not because it's wrong in any way, I don't think so, but because I will need to study your writings more to really understand. That, I am looking forward to. At this early stage in our acquaintance, I am wondering in how far my notion of "contrast" overlaps with your word "paradox", because what I'm starting to get from you - do correct me if I'm mistaken - is that paradox is not, as some view it, a state of abnormality, but rather a most normal of states.
I can say nothing, but then you won't hear me.
Like all our true concepts, "nothing is a paradox". And "'nothing is a paradox ' is a paradox", ... The endless chain - viscous or virtuous cycles - is a sure o paradox.
What I found interesting - as a real metaphor -, is that the town or castle gate called "eye of the needle", was a small, hidden, not easy to spot gate. This gate was used during sieges to slip out at night, without being seen by the enemy and return - if required. Because only one man could enter, it was easy to defend. So a camel - or a man on horse - couldn't pass.
And now the funny part: these types of gates are also called "Aha"; being used to surprise enemies. Dealing with paradoxes - a gate that's not a gate - also involves "aha". And laughter is often the response, releasing the tension, to a paradoxical situation. Like the answer to your riddle.
Thank you, Jan. I had never really thought of it in those terms, but have for some time examined two aspects to belief: one, that God's kingdom and Satan's kingdom, so often depicted as opposites (one, up there; the other, down there) are indeed in essence such opposites: love others, versus love yourself; the Christian cross, upright, the Petrine, and more recently Satanic, cross, upside down. It is these "contrasts" that led me initially to explore what the scriptures actually mean; and I never for a moment considered that I needed to study divinity to do that, because I reasoned ab initio that God cannot have intended that a divinity degree was needed to be able to follow Him. The other aspect is the fact that we analyse God in terms of how we analyse ourselves, and I'm not sure that that makes sense. Those have been the starting points of my explorations.
Now you have introduced me to the notion of paradox; and I find your exposition on the matter a challenge not because it's wrong in any way, I don't think so, but because I will need to study your writings more to really understand. That, I am looking forward to. At this early stage in our acquaintance, I am wondering in how far my notion of "contrast" overlaps with your word "paradox", because what I'm starting to get from you - do correct me if I'm mistaken - is that paradox is not, as some view it, a state of abnormality, but rather a most normal of states.