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Reality is contradictory. And it's paradoxical. If there's any one word -- if you had to pick one word to describe the nature of the universe -- I think that word would be paradox. That's true at the subatomic level, right through sociological, psychological, philosophical levels on up to cosmic levels.
Tom Robbins
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Interpretation

What this quote means

The universe is full of contradictions and paradoxes that influence all aspects of existence.

Tom Robbins suggests that the essence of the universe is rooted in paradox, implying that contradictions are fundamental to reality. This perspective spans various fields, from the subatomic particles that shape our physical world to the complexities of human psychology and societal norms, showcasing that understanding the universe requires embracing its contradictory nature.

Themes

RealityParadoxUniverseContradictionPhilosophy

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion about the complexities of life during a philosophy class.

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The Divine was beyond description, beyond knowing, beyond comprehension. To say that the Divine was Creation divided by Destruction was as close as one could come to definition. But the puny of soul, the dull of wit, weren't content with that. They wanted to hang a face on the Divine. They went so far as to attribute petty human emotions - anger, jealousy, etc - to it, not stopping to realize that if God were a being, even a supreme being, our prayers would have bored him to death long ago.
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On their sofas of spice and feathers, the concubines also slept fretfully. In those days the Earth was still flat, and people dreamed often of falling over edges.
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