Indulging my paradox thinking last week brought me to the realization that nearly everything around us is a paradox.
Plastic
It makes horrible knock-off toys from Hong Kong and it saves lives through pacemakers.
It makes horrible knock-off toys from Hong Kong and it saves lives through pacemakers.
Porcelain
Craptacular babies with angel's wings for which your grandmother pays $400 and also toilets.
Craptacular babies with angel's wings for which your grandmother pays $400 and also toilets.
Paper
Gives you access to knowledge of the ages and gives your bird something to poo on.
Gives you access to knowledge of the ages and gives your bird something to poo on.
Human Beings
Humans bring joy, pain, camaraderie, alienation, euphoria, torment, life, death. We are cruel and forgiving simultaneously. We want people to accept our differences and ostracize others'.
As terrible as it sounds, this type of thinking made me feel better. There will always be some walking douche thriving on chaos and mayhem. But knowing that life itself is a paradox means that there will always be someone who is the antithesis of said douche who rides in and fights back.
(Caution - Nerd Overload Approaching...)
Every Sauraman has a Gandalf. Every Emperor has a Luke. Every Alien has a Ripley. Every Biff has a Marty McFly. Every Cobra Kai has a Ralph Macchio. Every Kahn has a Kirk.
They don't always look like wizards or Jedi but the heroes will fight oppression and hatred until the very end.
I don't think most people, myself included, are cut out to be traditional heroes. We have our moments when we pull children from burning buildings and lift cars off of loved ones. But for most of us our heroism peaks at finding the last blue ultra-mega-robot-man-thing in town for our kid's Christmas present. Or volunteering our time/money to help less fortunate people in our town.
But looking at life as an amalgamation of paradoxes, heroes, and schmoes means that simple actions by regular people are some of the most important and heroic acts possible.
Every Frodo has a Sam. Every Han has a Chewy. Every Indiana has a Short Round. Every Kirk has a Spock. Every Arthur Dent has a Marvin.
While the heroes are saving the day, the regular Joes find ways to make just as much impact on the world around them. And without those sidekicks and regular guys, the world wouldn't be worth saving anyway.
(Also, if you understood all of the nerdy references above then we seriously need to be friends, like, now.)
I don't think most people, myself included, are cut out to be traditional heroes. We have our moments when we pull children from burning buildings and lift cars off of loved ones. But for most of us our heroism peaks at finding the last blue ultra-mega-robot-man-thing in town for our kid's Christmas present. Or volunteering our time/money to help less fortunate people in our town.
But looking at life as an amalgamation of paradoxes, heroes, and schmoes means that simple actions by regular people are some of the most important and heroic acts possible.
Every Frodo has a Sam. Every Han has a Chewy. Every Indiana has a Short Round. Every Kirk has a Spock. Every Arthur Dent has a Marvin.
While the heroes are saving the day, the regular Joes find ways to make just as much impact on the world around them. And without those sidekicks and regular guys, the world wouldn't be worth saving anyway.
(Also, if you understood all of the nerdy references above then we seriously need to be friends, like, now.)
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