Paradoxes, Antithesis, and oxymorons

Contradiction in the English Language

 Paradox
Meaning:
a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common
sense and yet is perhaps true
Example: The more you drink the thirstier you are
Synonyms: contradiction, dichotomy, incongruity
Etymology: from the Greek word paradoxon, contrary to expectation
 Paradox
Paradoxes were popularised by the greeks as simple logical statements or ideas with no
clear answers, that went on and on. A popular example is
the liar's paradox:
“A Cretan sails to Greece and says to some Greek men who are standing upon the shore,
“All Cretans are liars.” Did he speak the truth?"

Paradoxes are an excellent way of showing the idiosyncrasies and hypocrisies of modern
society, they are a way of challenging custom and pretension by showing the lack of logic
that surrounds them, a brilliant example is this:
"Again and again, he returns in his writing to the paradox of a woman who is superior to
the men around her by social class though considered inferior to them on account of her
gender."
 Antithesis
Meaning: 1) the direct opposite.
2) the rhetorical contrast of ideas using parallel arrangements of words, clauses, or
sentences.
Example: 1) Her temperament is the very antithesis of mine.
2) "ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country"
Synonyms: negative, obverse, opposite, reverse
Etymology: from the Greek word antitithenai to oppose
Antithesis is popular among writers to showcase opposite ideals, which we see often in
today's world, with idealist leaders becoming corrupt dictators or well-meaning reform
causing worse conditions for common men. Antithesis often shows that while two words
may be opposite, they is often only a fine line that separates them.
 Oxymoron
Meaning: a combination of contradictory words
Example: Cruel Kindness, Less is More
Etymology: Greek oxymoron meaning pointedly foolish

While oxymorons may sound meaningless, they can be wonderfully profound, a child
who lets his friend fail an exam so they can work hard in that subject later shows cruel
kindness, his kindness is in cruelly not allowing him to take the easy way for his
mistakes. Dry Ice is a real substance that is so cold it can burn your skin! Oxymorons
show that there are many ways of affecting people in the same way or that ideas and
objects affect things in profound, often contradictory ways like how having less, gives us
a feeling of completeness.
 Contradiction
The common theme surrounding these three literary devices is how they use
contradiction to put forward a point.
Oxymorons combine contradictory phrases to put forward unique meanings and ideas.
For example, Bittersweet.
Paradoxes use logic to come to conclusions that contradict logic.
Antithesis includes the usage or arrangement of words to show contradictory ideals, to
highlight how close two opposites, are or their differences.
All three literary devices beautifully show the complexity and idiosyncrasies of life and
human behavior uniquely and in an entertaining manner.