East Meets West Showdown

One of my mentors once told me “powerful leaders hold paradox”.

As many paradoxical statements can land, I wasn’t quite sure what he was talking about. I had to go look up the word. Needed the definition first. So in case you are like I was I’ll save you a google search.

From Merriam-Webster

: one (such as a person, situation, or action) having seemingly contradictory qualities or phases

So what does it mean to hold the damn thing? To be able to hold two seemingly contradictory qualities at the same time?

Took me years before it landed and ever since then it’s landed more and more. The mind likes to think only one way. Thinking there can only be this or that. What about this AND that?

So what happens when you take seemingly contradictory philosophical concepts that were each developed in isolation (mostly) and then introduce them to each other? That’s what we get when we look at the history of western philosophy vs eastern philosophy.

Most people see these two sets of philosophies in contradiction to one another. 

The east holds the truth of everything existing as a circle. The 4 seasons, each year returning. The revolution of time & space, always returning back to where we started.

The west holds the truth of progress. The beginning and the end. Alpha and Omega. The truth that the universe is evolving in a way that never repeats itself.

Two seemingly contradictory philosophies. Both of which most people could not hold simultaneously… but for those who can, the world is your oyster.

Checkout today’s Monday Mornings with Mike & Max podcast. We’ll do our best to tickle your brain.