Some dichotomies

A little list of lies, um, I mean, dichotomies. Just some that I had to deal with recently:

FRONT ache – comfort | analog – digital | analysis – synthesis | animal – human | art – kitsch | ask – reply | at least – at most | avoidance – devotion | BDSM – vanilla sex | beautiful – ugly | because – why | being – inexistence | black – white | blind – sighted | box – content – cover | cheap – expensive | coffee – tea | cold – warm | colored – plain | construction – destruction | continuous – discrete | crazy, mad – sane | criticism – praise | cut – glue | dark – light | dated – recent | day – night | denial – agreement | dichotomy – warrant | dynamic – static | early – late | East – West | ecology – economy | element – system – environment | expert – layperson | far – close | fast – slow | find – lose | finite – infinite | foreigner – native | freedom – slavery | friend – fiend | front – back | full – empty | funny – sober | global – local | god – human being | good – bad | green – red – blue – black | guilty – innocent | handicapped – unhindered – healthy | handmade – manufactured | happy – sad | healthy – sick | heaven – earth | heavy – light | help – damage | homosexual – straight | honest – deceiving | independent – tributary | interesting – boring | justified – random | knowledge – ignorance | left – right | liar – liar | life – death | light – shadow | linear – non-linear | list – pile | long – short | loud – silent | love – hate | maybe – sure | mind – body | modification – conservation | natural – artificial | nature – nurture | negation – affirmation | nonsense – sense | once – twice | one – many | one way – anyway | open – closed | opponent – supporter | order – chaos | part – whole | past – presence – future | political – apolitical | polyamory – monogamy | popular – elitist | positive – negative | preserver – dominator | prose – poetry | question – answer | reason – aim | relative – absolute | religious – unbelieving – atheistic | responsible – irresponsible | revolution – evolution | rich – poor | right – wrong | riddle – advice | science – public | serious music – popular music | sexual intercourse – petting | silence – noise | simple – complex | small – big | smoker – nonsmoker | some – all – none | stagnation – variation | strong – weak | subject – object | sustainable – wasteful | synonym – antonym | talking – mute | thick – thin | time – space | top – bottom | torturer – victim | town – country | truth – lie | unemployed – employee | up – down | warrant – ruination | word – picture | yes – no | young – old | zero – one | 6/8 – 4/4

If you look closely you may find at least twice as many, maybe more. Anyway, if you ask me (but don’t you): Avoid dichotomies for they are lies.

9 Responses to “Some dichotomies”

  1. ik says:

    wow!!! :)

  2. eb says:

    Some don´t avoid them, but bless them:

    Benedicite, omnia opera… http://cofe.anglican.org/worship/liturgy/commonworship/texts/canticles/canticlesbcp.html

  3. rattus says:

    eb — thanks a lot for the link. Good find.

    For me, this raises 2 questions: What is in between a dichotomy? And, what is the opposite of blessing?

  4. eb says:

    As to question 1, look at Amaryllis’ blog 2006-06-11.
    As to question 2, I can’t know. I’ve never been out of it. Just the opposite.

  5. rattus says:

    :-)

  6. James says:

    The opposite of a blessing?

    I would suggest that a curse is the opposite of a blessing.

    I also thing that the opposite of once is not twice, but it is never, or infinite perhaps?

  7. rattus says:

    LOL! A curse can be a pretty bloody thing. I’d call it everything but the opposite of a blessing. Anyway, I do not see the opposite of an opposite of an opposite as a dichotomy.
    As for the opposite of once being never or infinite: This is what my girlfriend suggested, too. Twice ;)

  8. bb says:

    May I suggest the dichotomy ‘me – you’? That’s a wonderful one, as long as one sees the ‘us’ beyond it! :)

  9. rattus says:

    Thanks bb. Indeed, me, you, us, and them, that’s where it all starts, and ends. Oops, that’s another one ;)