# How do you solve this paradox about killing someone then?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-solve-this-paradox-about-killing-someone-then/766737>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 24, 2016, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-solve-this-paradox-about-killing-someone-then/766737 "2016-09-24T15:37:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-solve-this-paradox-about-killing-someone-then/766737/21 "2016-09-25T19:32:19Z")

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> [@Dunmurry](#):
>
> … now then?

This is the real paradox.

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**Author:** ![Dunmurry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d2c977/32.png) [@Dunmurry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunmurry)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-solve-this-paradox-about-killing-someone-then/766737/22 "2016-11-07T11:56:40Z")

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Well I was thinking more about a situation where it’s a kind of a situation like in the film Heavenly Creatures about the Parker-Hulme murders in New Zealand where they said Only the best people against all obstacles in the pursuit of happiness. And where Pauline says things about her mother - that if she were to die it would solve the problem of them being together. Any other information here? Any different ways of dealing with something like this?

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**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-solve-this-paradox-about-killing-someone-then/766737/23 "2016-11-07T12:12:04Z")

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> [@Velocity](#):
>
> This is a “huh?” thread.
> 
> We’re talking two entirely different ‘freedoms’ here.

Exactly. OP has defined “freedom” to mean

(a) not in prison (one of the conventional definitions);

(b) an emotional release only achieved by inflicting revenge (an unconventional one).

If you use the same word to label two different things that cannot both be achieved under the specified conditions, that’s not a paradox, it’s just something that’s not possible.

Of course, in the real world we can dispute that (b) is correct, but that’s a separate matter.

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**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2016, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-solve-this-paradox-about-killing-someone-then/766737/24 "2016-11-07T12:19:52Z")

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ETA: somehow I missed **Ravenman** ’s post, where this has already been stated better.  
_Fallacy of equivocation_, I had forgotten the term, thanks.

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