Paradox

There's something out that has been on my mind a lot lately, and that is the issue of paradox.  In a way, this plays into my series on polarity, because a paradox is about two things that seem to contradict each other.  One could look at a paradox as an example of a polarity trying to balance itself. 
It is impossible to avoid paradox, though most of us are not aware of it.  Paradox is built in to the human condition! To give you an example of what I mean, I've collected a list of simple statements that are paradoxes.  Read each one slowly and consider the implications.  (I don't know about you, but these make me laugh!)

• I am lying.
• Never say never.
• Don't tell anyone what to do.
• God made me an atheist.
• I know that I know nothing at all.
• Moderation in all things, including moderation.
• There is an exception to every rule, (except this rule has no exception.)
• It is opposite-day today!
• I shall never make any decisions.

Why am I posting this, and what does it have anything to do with dreams?  Well, it seems the human mind is capable of, and indeed, adept at, handling paradox.  This applies to our beliefs, our cognition, and our behavior as well.  We can believe fervently in one thing, yet act a completely different way.  Or we can hold two opposing beliefs simultaneously in our minds.  (For better or for worse...)  Each of us can simultaneously be both cruel and compassionate, proud and humble, strong and weak, rational and emotional, concerned and indifferent...  We each have both animal natures and rational intellects.
To be human is to be a walking paradox.
Mainly, I think it's just important for all of us to know that.  I don't think it's healthy to fight the fact of paradox.  Yes, we should aim for consistency of character and logic, but that is not fully possible.  To be 100% consistent would be to flatten our experiences down to a 2-dimensional level.  But sometimes we can feel trapped by paradox too, and that isn't healthy either. 
Rather than letting ourselves be trapped by paradox, I think the way out is acceptance, reverence, and walking in the tension, rather than trying to escape it.  Usually if we try to escape the tension, we will swing into one polarity or the other, and damage ourselves or someone else.
Bringing it all back to dreams... we can often see our own paradoxes working themselves out in our dreams.  Often, when there's a perplexing problem to solve in a dream, there's a paradox issue being dealt with.  A marriage or sex scene often points to paradox (the union of two opposites).  You may fly, or you may be a ruler of a beautiful country...  There are many other possibilities as well!
What's your favorite paradox?
Do you see paradoxes in your dreams?