Some paradoxes I’ve come to love and accept:

1. The more you know, the more you realize how little you know.

Every time I feel myself taking one step forward in mastering a new domain, I suddenly see ten more steps revealed to me. The dumbest years of my life are when I’ve felt the smartest.

Related: the Dunning-Kruger effect

2. The more choices you have, the less satisfied you are with each one.

From psychologist Barry Schwartz:

“Autonomy and freedom of choice are critical to our well being, and choice is critical to freedom and autonomy. Nonetheless, though modern Americans have more choice than any group of people ever has before, and thus, presumably, more freedom and autonomy, we don’t seem to be benefiting from it psychologically.”

Related: The Paradox of Choice

3. Every good creates a potential evil.

Providing clean water is good but it also creates inequality for people with dirty water.

When you raise the standard, you also invent opportunities to hit below the standard.

4. The more you fail, the more likely you’ll succeed.

It is ironic that one of the key ingredients to success is its exact opposite, failure. Yet, in defence of failure, J.K. Rowling writes:

“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default.”

Related: The Parable of the Pottery Class

5. The highest highs have the lowest lows.

The relationship that you treasure the most can also destroy you the most.

The more you gain, the more you have to lose.