"A taste for irony has kept more hearts from breaking than a sense of humor, for it takes irony to appreciate the joke which is on oneself"

This quote by Jessamyn West speaks with the power of paradox in helping us to deal with tight spots. Paradox can be an effective tool for understanding our own experiences and the experiences of others. It permits us to take a step back and see our own lives from a various perspective. By recognizing the irony in our own experiences, we can typically find humor in them and acquire a much better understanding of our own feelings. Paradox can likewise help us to appreciate the humor in our own errors and shortcomings. In this method, irony can be an effective tool for keeping our hearts from breaking, as it enables us to discover humor and understanding in difficult situations.