The Paradox Process - By Derm Barrett

(Genre:Book Extract)

Type of Opposites:

We can divide opposites into 2 broad categories. If X and Y are opposites then:

1. X is right then Y is wrong - Most basic type of opposite, If a person is bad then he/she is not good.

2. X is right and Y is also right - Consider the following statements "A penny saved is penny earned" and "Spend money to earn money". These statements are in principal opposite to each in the methodology lead to the same end "More Money".

This type of opposite is what we call a PARADOX.
Types of Paradoxical Thinking:We can classify paradoxes into 3 major types:

1. Contrary Thinking - We are mentally programmed by our upbringing and social environment to believe that whatever is common and traditional is right and whatever differs is wrong. Contrarian thinking involves questioning a popular belief, then looking what its reverse is. An example would be showbiz where the marketeers try to create a controversy/scandal/bad publicity to promote the film.
2. Janusian Thinking - Inspired by the Greek God Janus who had 2 faces looking in opposite direction (Also the root for the word January which looks towards the year that went by and the year that lies ahead.). This involves juxtaposing to opposites together and creating something new and useful. Example would be a knife, which has a sharp blade that will cut your hand, and a handle which will not.
3. Hegelian thinking - this involves fusing 2 opposites to produce a third entity. Example would be a newspaper photograph which is an amalgamation of black and white dots.

Practical Uses of Paradoxical Thinking

1. The Case of the Bus Operator with an old fleet
An old Bus operator was facing tough competition from a new player in the market who had a new fleet of buses and was able to reduce the travel time from 3 to 2 days.The conventional wisdom would suggest that the "old" bus operator should buy new buses to compete. But on the contrary, the Bus owner increased the travel time from 3 to 4 days and added activities on the way like stay at resorts, games etc.and was eventually able to takeover the new competitor.

2. The Case of my friend's wedding gift: It is one thing of suggesting thinking in opposites and other thing in practicing it. So here is a case where I used Paradoxical Thinking.
My friend came to India from US to get married and was supposed to go back. We thought of buying him something that would be small so that he take it to US and be useful. We mulled over antiques, precious stones etc. and in the end came up with a gift which was contrary to our initial thing. We bought him something which was very big and yet he could take it along. Something in which he could carry all the "small" gifts that he got - A Large Suitcase.

So go ahead and think out of ordinary to solve daily problems paradoxically.