# A Paradox explained — Poetry

> Chapter companion for Poetry by Ambrose Bierce.

## What happens

A brief dialogue between a preacher and a pessimist debating the value of life and suicide, presenting a logical paradox about worth and taking.

## Themes in this chapter

### Mortality and Regret

The poem directly contemplates suicide and the worth of life, engaging with mortality and the regret inherent in such a choice.

### Deception and Self-Deception

The paradox plays on the logical deception of equating worth with the act of taking, reflecting self-deception in reasoning about life's value.

## Key lines

> If life were not worth living, said the preacher, 'Twould have in suicide one pleasant feature.

The preacher argues that if life lacks value, then suicide would at least offer a positive aspect.

_The preacher presents a utilitarian view of suicide as a potential benefit if life is worthless._

> An error, said the pessimist, you're making: What's not worth having cannot be worth taking.

The pessimist counters that something without value cannot be valuable to take, refuting the preacher's logic.

_The pessimist uses a logical paradox to challenge the preacher's premise, highlighting a contradiction in the argument._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters/a-paradox
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/poetry_se/chapters