An oxymoron is born out of hypocrisy and ignorance. The first one I questioned was "High class prostitute" but today I heard one from a scientist that should win some kind of award. Quote: "A second lockdown is the only way, I don't want my 86 year old mother going to an early grave. The average age of death in the UK is 81.
I think the scientist in question used ambiguous language. Pretty sure he/she was meaning to say they hope their 86 year old mother continues to enjoy her life for some time to come, not have it cut short right now by Coronavirus - which is an unpleasant way to go, especially with family not being able to be close at the end. 86 is a pretty good innings, but none of us ever want to lose our nearest and dearest, assuming they have any quality of life. Anybody who dies from a disease that we are capable of finding a vaccine or cure for (or already have done so) can be regarded as going to an early grave - in that their death may have been prevented in different (better) circumstances.
I gave up tasks 2 years ago. This task, that task, keep everything neat, including my over active mind.. Living with chaos is a blast...try it.
I'm driven to it I'm afraid. Sometimes wish I was more of a 'people' person. Entrepreneurs, salesmen, hospitality whizzkids. That's where the opportunities are. Granted a handful of inventors and engineers have made it big, but in general the problem solvers and mechanics of this world do no more than oil the wheels that turn the economy and allow others to get rich. Never mind. I get much satisfaction from building things and making broken machines work again. Are oxymorons only things that don't actually exist? Contrary concepts if you will. 'Gallows humour' for example seems a contradictory notion. But it certainly does exist, and is one of the most interesting kinds (in my opinion). Is there a different term for that kind of contradictory, or counter-intuitive, phenomenon?
