The difference between Koan and Paradox
When used as nouns, koan means a story about a zen master and his student, sometimes like a riddle, other times like a fable, which has become an object of zen study, and which, when meditated upon, may unlock mechanisms in the zen student's mind leading to satori, whereas paradox means an apparently self-contradictory statement, which can only be true if it is false, and vice versa.
check bellow for the other definitions of Koan and Paradox
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Koan as a noun (Zen, _, Buddhism):
A story about a Zen master and his student, sometimes like a riddle, other times like a fable, which has become an object of Zen study, and which, when meditated upon, may unlock mechanisms in the Zen student's mind leading to satori.
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Koan as a noun:
A riddle with no solution, used to provoke reflection on the inadequacy of logical reasoning, and to lead to enlightenment.
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Paradox as a noun:
An apparently self-contradictory statement, which can only be true if it is false, and vice versa.
Examples:
"This sentence is false" is a paradox."
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Paradox as a noun:
A counterintuitive conclusion or outcome.
Examples:
"It is an interesting paradox that drinking a lot of water can often make you feel thirsty."
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Paradox as a noun:
A claim that two apparently contradictory ideas are true.
Examples:
"Not having a fashion is a fashion; that's a paradox."
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Paradox as a noun:
A thing involving contradictory yet interrelated elements that exist simultaneously and persist over time.
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Paradox as a noun:
A person or thing having contradictory properties.
Examples:
"He is a paradox; you would not expect him in that political party."
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Paradox as a noun:
An unanswerable question or difficult puzzle, particularly one which leads to a deeper truth.
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Paradox as a noun (obsolete):
A statement which is difficult to believe, or which goes against general belief.
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Paradox as a noun (uncountable):
The use of counterintuitive or contradictory statements (paradoxes) in speech or writing.
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Paradox as a noun (uncountable, philosophy):
A state in which one is logically compelled to contradict oneself.
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Paradox as a noun (uncountable, psychotherapy):
The practice of giving instructions that are opposed to the therapist's actual intent, with the intention that the client will disobey or be unable to obey.