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The viscous cycle of catch-22 situations
1. The viscous cycle of catch-22 situations
We have seen self-referential statements such as the following.
This is a sentence.
And the following.
This sentence is true.
Logical issues can arise when a self-referential negation is present.
This sentence is false.
2. Questions
Self-referential statements (or questions) can cause logical problems (i.e., paradoxes).
Is "
no" your answer to this question? Answer either "
yes" or "
no".
Do you see the paradox? Try answering one way, then the other way, thinking each through.
3. Ill-posed questions
The phrasing of a question is very important. An "
ill-posed question" is a question where a "
yes" or "
no" answer is not sufficient as there may be other implications. Examples:
Have you stopped beating your wife?
When will you start studying for the exam?
The general issue here is called "
framing" the question.
4. Arrogance
Accusing someone of "
arrogance" is a tricky issue. It is an example of a catch-22 situation.
If the person responds indignantly, then the case for "arrogance" is enhanced.
If the person does not respond, they appear to tacitly agree with the accusation.
How should someone respond to such an allegation?
Similar (improper) questions:
Have you stopped beating your wife?
Do you still say stupid things?
5. Matthew 19:16 Framing
Matthew 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? [kjv]
και ιδου εις προσελθων αυτω ειπεν διδασκαλε τι αγαθον ποιησω ινα σχω ζωην αιωνιον [gnt]
In the Bible, we often see ill-posed questions involving framing when Jesus is questioned by others. Jesus tends to remove the "
framing" so that his statements are more clear.
6. Matthew 19:16
KJV: And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
Greek: και ιδου εις προσελθων ειπεν αυτω ειπεν διδασκαλε αγαθε τι αγαθον ποιησω ινα εχω σχω ζωην αιωνιον
Latin: et ecce unus accedens ait illi magister bone quid boni faciam ut habeam vitam aeternam
Wessex: & þa ge-nehlahte hym an man to. & cwaeð. Lä gode lareow hwaet godes do ich þaet ich eche lyf haebbe.
Luther: Und siehe, einer trat zu ihm und sprach: Guter Meister, was soll ich Gutes tun, daß ich das ewige Leben möge haben?
7. Matthew 19:17
KJV: And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Greek: ο δε ειπεν αυτω τι με λεγεις αγαθον ουδεις αγαθος ει μη ερωτας περι του αγαθου εις εστιν ο θεος αγαθος ει δε θελεις εισελθειν εις την ζωην τηρησον εισελθειν τηρει τας εντολας
Latin: qui dixit ei quid me interrogas de bono unus est bonus Deus si autem vis ad vitam ingredi serva mandata
Wessex: Ða cwaeð he. Hwaet axost þu me be gode. An god is god. soðlice gyf þu wylt on lyf becuman heald þa bebode.
Luther: Er aber sprach zu ihm: Was heißest du mich gut? Niemand ist gut denn der einige Gott. Willst du aber zum Leben eingehen, so halte die Gebote.
Note that if only God is "
good" but Jesus is also "
good" then there is an inconsistency. This paradox can be removed if Jesus is actually God.
Let us get back to logical paradoxes in the form of statements.
8. Paradox split
A self-referential sentence can be split into two (or more) parts.
#1. Sentence #2 is true.
#2. Sentence #1 is true.
No problem here.
Whenever sets of logical statements are everywhere reversed from false to true and true to false, the system has no inconsistencies not present in the original, but it can be harder to understand.
#1. Sentence #2 is false.
#2. Sentence #1 is false.
Quick! What is the opposite of "
not in"? Remember not to forget that!
Aside: Flipping logic is one thing that makes concepts such as type 1 and type 2 errors in statistics confusing. If the logic is completely flipped, type 1 errors become type 2 errors and type 2 errors become type 1 errors. False negatives become false positives and false positives become false negatives.
That is why correctly framing or putting context to a statement or claim is important. Statements or claims (or Bible verses) taken out of context can be confusing, misleading, etc.
A self-referential paradox can arise, however, in a situation of multiple statements such as the following.
#1. Sentence #2 is true.
#2. Sentence #1 is false.
Flipping logic, we have the following, with the same paradox.
#1. Sentence #2 is false.
#2. Sentence #1 is true.
However, sometimes a consistent set of statements may not be easily resolvable within the system.
#1. Sentence #2 is required for this sentence to be true.
#2. Sentence #1 is required for this sentence to be true.
Sometimes the "
required" dependency is not easily resolvable within the system. Such a set of statements is sometimes called a "
catch-22" situation.
In such cases, one may be required to think "
outside the box", which may or may not be easy to do.
A "
catch-22" situation, from the name of a novel by Joseph Heller (and later movie) refers to a self-referential system where two (or more) parts refer other parts of that group in a way that there is no "
fixed point" (i.e., well-defined and consistent) solution. More on "
fixed points" later.
9. Jobs and experience
How does one get a "
job" when all the advertised jobs require "
experience", one does not have "
experience" and the only way to get experience is to get a job?
This infinite object illustrates a principle known as "
infinite regress", but more on that later.
10. Finite representations
Let us redraw the above diagram to be a finite representation of the above diagram representing an infinite (regress) situation.
The infinite regress situation has been made into a diagram with an infinite cycle (if followed without stopping).
11. Experience needed
Note: In the 1990's, there were jokes made about companies requiring 5 years of Java programming experience when Java had not been around for 5 years. The same often happens today when new programming languages appear and companies use boilerplate job requirements without checking carefully.
A LinkedIn post showed the situation "
When employers want 10 years of experience before you turn 20". (as of 2022-05-08)
12. Judgment and experience
Here is on old adage:
Good judgment comes from experience.
Experience comes from bad judgment.
13. Symbiotic relationships
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
14. Glasses to see
How can you find your glasses when you need your glasses to see where your glasses are? Unless you look in a mirror you will not see them on your forehead. This is a catch-22 situation.
Somewhat like the blind leading the blind.
King Candy (to Wreck-It-Ralph, after putting on a pair of glasses): You wouldn't hit a guy with glasses, would you?
Wreck-It-Ralph: (removes the glasses from King Candy, and hits King Candy with the glasses he was wearing.)
15. CAPTCHA
16. CAPTCHA
The primary CAPTCHA problem is as follows.
To recognize the CAPTCHA, the image must be segmented into separate symbols.
The segment the image into separate symbols, the CAPTCHA must be recognized.
This is a catch-22 situation.
17. Put litter in it's place
Have you seen a sign that says "
Put litter in it's place?"?
Litter is, by definition, trash that is not in a trash can but, instead, on the grass, lawn, highway, etc.
As soon as you put litter in a trash can, it is no longer litter. Therefore, logically, to put litter in it's place means that you need to leave it where it is.
One now sometimes sees signs that say something like "
Put trash in it's place". If one assumes that "
litter" is "
trash", then this idea makes more sense.
18. Unicode symbol
There is a Unicode symbol for "
Put litter in its place".
Decimal 128,686 appears as "🚮".
Hex 1F6AE appears as "🚮".
However, this character is above the 16-bit 0 to 65,535 character range, and may not be supported on the browser you are using to view this page (or any fonts that are loaded, etc.).
19. Puppy litter
At one time, the English word "
litter" meant a bed in the sense of a portable couch or straw, etc. Thus, a "
litter" of puppies might be on a bed of straw, a "
litter" might be used for medical transport for someone in an emergency, etc.
The English word "
litter" comes, through French, from the Latin word
"lectus" ≈ "couch, bed". This word appears once in the Latin Vulgate.
20. Viscous cycle
The Latin phrase for a "
catch-22" situation is the Latin phrase
"circulus vitiosus" ≈ "viscous circle".
The Latin word "circulus" ≈ "circle" and is the source of the English word "circle".
The Latin word "vitiosus" ≈ "viscous" and is the source of the English word "viscous".
The German word
"Teufelskreis" ≈ "devil's circle" and derives from the Latin word as a loan translation but with "
devil" substituted for "
viscous".
An example of a viscous cycle is that of beliefs influencing actions influencing results influencing beliefs, etc. One can see the "
viscous" cycle of coveting and increase in what one wants in Ecclesiastes (omitted)
21. Exercise
There are many "
viscous cycles". As one set of phrases go:
Exercises
Eks-are-cises
Eggs are sides
Eggs are sides for bacon, bacon, bacon!
22. Infinite regression
Some ideas, such as Zeno's paradox, lead to an infinite regression.
If space aliens planted life on earth, then who planted the life for the space aliens.
One example of a "
viscous" cycle illusion is the Penrose steps (or stairs).
23. Penrose steps: how it is done
The Penrose never-ending steps illusion, also called the stairs illusion, cannot exist in reality as depicted.
These steps were made famous by
M. C. Escher (graphic artist) as elaborations on the theme. Steps, rivers, etc., do not go/flow uphill.
How is the Penrose steps illusion created?
This page adds more to the page at
Catch-22 situations.
24. German
25. Revelation 16:14
26. Revelation 16:14
KJV: For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
Greek: εισιν γαρ πνευματα δαιμονων δαιμονιων ποιουντα σημειαεκπορευεσθαι α εκπορευεται επι τους βασιλεις της γης και της οικουμενης ολης συναγαγειν αυτους εις τον πολεμον της ημερας εκεινης της μεγαλης του θεου του παντοκρατορος
Latin: sunt enim spiritus daemoniorum facientes signa et procedunt ad reges totius terrae congregare illos in proelium ad diem magnum Dei omnipotentis
Wycliffe: For thei ben spiritis of deuels, makynge signes, and thei gon forth to kingis of al erthe, to gadere hem in to batel, to the greet dai of almiyti God.
Tyndale: For they are the sprettes of devyls workynge myracles to go out vnto the kynges of the erth and of the whole worlde to gaddre them to the battayle of that gret daye of God allmyghty.
Luther: Und sind Geister der Teufel; die tun Zeichen und gehen aus zu den Königen auf Erden und auf den ganzen Kreis der Welt, sie zu versammeln in den Streit auf jenen großen Tag Gottes, des Allmächtigen.
The Latin word
"totius terrae" ≈ "total world".
The Wycliffe follows the Latin and combines "
earth" and "
whole world".
27. Revelation 16:15
Revelation 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. [kjv]
ιδου ερχομαι ως κλεπτης μακαριος ο γρηγορων και τηρων τα ιματια αυτου ινα μη γυμνος περιπατη και βλεπωσιν την ασχημοσυνην αυτου [gnt]
28. Revelation 16:15
KJV: Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
Greek: ιδου ερχομαι ως κλεπτης μακαριος ο γρηγορων και τηρων τα ιματια αυτου ινα μη γυμνος περιπατη και βλεπωσιν την ασχημοσυνην αυτου
29. Revelation 16:16 Armageddon
Revelation 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon. [kjv]
και συνηγαγεν αυτους εις τον τοπον τον καλουμενον εβραιστι αρ μαγεδων [gnt]
The next verse refers to the battle of Armageddon.
Let us return to the catch-22 viscous circle from the Latin perspective.
30. Revelation 16:16
KJV: And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
Greek: και συνηγαγεν αυτους εις τον τοπον τον καλουμενον εβραιστι αρμαγεδδων αρ μαγεδων
Latin: et congregavit illos in locum qui vocatur hebraice Hermagedon
Wycliffe: And he schal gadre hem in to a place, that is clepid in Ebreu Hermagedon.
31. Ecclesiastes 5:10 Totally devoted to agape love
Ecclesiastes 5:10 He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver; nor he that loveth abundance with increase: this is also vanity. [kjv]
αγαπων αργυριον ου πλησθησεται αργυριου και τις ηγαπησεν εν πληθει αυτων γενημα και γε τουτο ματαιοτης [lxx]
In English, one says things like "
I love pizza", "
I love football", etc. Agape love is usually taken as meaning an unconditional form of love.
A better definition is that of being totally devoted to something, is in "
totally devoted to football", etc. This same idea is found in many Bible verses in the
GNT (Greek New Testament) and
LXX (Septuagint).
One could add examples such as the following.
He that loveth "golf", ...
He that loveth "football", ...
And so on.
32. End of page