Paradox: when two associated things – words, traits, situations, etc. – seem illogical and/or contradictory, but may, in fact, be true, compatible, or justified. Examples: “You have to spend money to make money” or “less is more.” Here’s a digital transformation example: “Using artificial intelligence to get closer to customers.”
Contemplating the paradox is fascinating, but never more so than how paradoxical humans are. Consider these human paradoxes:
- Your intense personality can seem aggressive, but the other side of your paradox is an outgoing nature with a handy sense of urgency.
- You’ve been called a workaholic, but the rest of the story is that others benefit from the fruits of your labor.
- You may seem unorganized, but your creative paradox sees order in clutter.
We humans are at once a sweet and sour but always spicy Brunswick stew of paradoxes. But most of us don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it because paradox sounds negative and we don’t like dwelling on our negatives – just the good stuff. And there’s the rub.
