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   %OXYMORON DICHOMORON OPPOSITE CONTRADICT COLLUDE 940912

     An  oxymoron  is  a  pair of  words  which  are  used
together in spite of the fact that they have contradictory
or  incongruous  meanings.   "Dry water"  is an  oxymoron.
"Small  giant"   is an oxymorons.  "Tiny monster"   is  an
oxymoron.   In  these  examples  the  words  have  overtly
contradictory meanings.

     Some pairings of words have incongruous meanings even
if  the words are not literally contradictory in meanings.
Such pairings may be incongruous because the two words are
associated with opposites in a dichotomy. Let us call such
a  pairing  a  dichotomoron(s).   Dichotomoron(s)   are  a
special class of  oxymorons.    Through collusions we  are
inhibited in ways  which make us blind to dichotomoron(s),
for collusions confuse and blind us;  and so inhibit clear
thinking  about the dichotomies which we conceive and make
real, realize.

     To   think  clearly  about  opposite  poles  of   our
dichotomies often is  to violate our cherished collusions.
Thus   it  is  hard to  recognize,    name  and   honestly
talk  about dichotomoron(s).

     Oxymorons such as "dry water" cannot make sense.  How
about the  dichotomorons  "healthy  enemy",   "integrative
enemy", "honest Communist", "trustworthy Nazi", "objective
fanatic"?    Dichotomies  which  are  maintained   through
collusive  games of mutual self deception may  prevent  us
from  pairing words characteristic of opposite ends  of  a
dichotomy,    and  thereby  prevent  us  from  enjoying  a
synthesis which transcends our disintegrative dichotomies.
If  we  regard  all dichomorons as being oxymorons in  the
sense   of   pairing  of  words  which   are   essentially
contradictory,   then  we  will be  unable  to  enjoy  any
synthesis which transcends the dichotomies  from which the
dichotomorons flow.  "Dry water" cannot exist.  A "healthy
enemy",    "integrative  enemy",   "honest  enemy",    and
"objective  fanatic"  can exist.  If  we maintain that the
latter cannot exist,  we may be victims of collusive games
of  mutual  self  deception  which  are  leading  us  into
disintegrative patterns of attitudes, thoughts,  decisions
and actions.

     Paradoxes  are truths which entail what appear to  be
contradictions.   The appearance of contradiction may,  or
may  not,   be  due  to collusive games  of  mutual  self-
deception.    Some dichotomorons may be paradoxes;  others
may not be paradoxes.  How are we to tell?

                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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