A “catch-22” is any situation in which the method of obtaining your goal requires some act that makes your goal impossible. One psychological catch 22 is love: people are often attracted to people who act aloof. Rejection, which should theoretically prompt one’s ability to become “accepted,” often creates further outcasts. When trying to enhance self-esteem, pondering what makes you loveable may bring up thoughts of what makes you unlovable. Issues like mental illness, which require treatment, often make it challenging to get treatment. Studies have shown that some people who try not to appear prejudice often appear very prejudiced.
Read the entire article here: Psych Your Mind: Five Classic Psychological Catch-22s.