Man believes that he is superior to animals because he has the ability to reason. Right? Reason makes him capable of seeing things objectively. Right? Reason makes him act fairly in all circumstances. Right? Reason allows him to get along with others. Right?
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! The truth is we are all made up of many idiosyncrasies that are considered irrational. These behaviours in ourselves and others occasionally confound us. Many of our actions are paradoxical: our actions are contradicted by our words. These contradictions can be not only surprising and unexpected but also deeply disturbing. Here are some examples.
People who love to tell others what to do are often not willing to receive advice themselves. People who love to correct others frequently do not receive correction well. People who make fun of others can’t take it when the tables are turned on them.
Children who complain about not being treated as adults will habitually not take responsibility for their actions. Parents tell their children not to drink, smoke or watch TV, yet these very same parents drink, smoke and watch TV.
Your boss takes two-hour lunches every day and calls it a “business lunch”, while he hauls you on the carpet for being five minutes late. Your boss says his door is always open if you need to talk, yet he never has time for you.
During an election, politicians insist you can trust them; after the election the first thing they do is break their campaign promises. Politicians tell you to vote for them if you want change, and when elected they do the same things their predecessors did.
Doctors know the effects of smoking, yet there are chain smoking doctors. Doctors tell patients to live stress free lives, yet they are highly stressed. Doctors tell patients to watch their diets, yet there are overweight doctors. Doctors tell patients to get plenty of exercise, yet there are out of shape doctors.
KKK members who say they are Christians will burn down black churches. KKK members who take such pride in their cause wear hoods over their heads. KKK members believe in the purity of the white race, yet very few people, especially in North America, can be considered racially pure.
A man says he loves a woman yet cheats on her every opportunity he gets. A man confesses his undying love for a woman, but when she displeases him, he maltreats her. The same woman forgives him, and the cycle of abuse and forgiveness repeats itself. A man marrying a woman of a different colour turns around and calls her a nigger when they get into arguments.
Probably the most recently disturbing paradox is that of a Pakistani woman’s being gang raped by six men, including a village elder. The assault was ordered by a tribal council as punishment for her brother’s illicit sex with a woman from another family.
Man the reasonable being? No, man the paradox! Man the objective thinker? No, man the paradox! Man the lover of justice? No, man the paradox! Man the social animal? No, man the paradox!