Catch 22...?

Question

What does the phrase "Catch 22" mean? Give an example.

Ok, so basically, after reading your answers, a "catch 22" means whatever decision you make will result in a negative outcome.

For example: If a person has insurance but cannot afford the co-pay, he/she can not get their medications and If that same person applied for financial assistance they will be denied because they have insurance. So either way they are without medication.

Or does it mean, as one person mentioned, regardless of how close you are to achieving your goal, you are still not there.

For example:
Let's say that I have 21 hours left of school before obtaining a degree in one subject. However, technology is ever changing and more courses are required prior to graduating. So, several months from now I still have 21 hours left of school because of added courses.

Answer 1

A Catch-22 is a No-Win situation, or damned if you do, damned if you don't.

An example would be "Stepping on a land mine, and not lifting your foot. If you stay there, you die a slow painful death by starvation... if you lift your foot, you get blown up."

Both situations are bad.

Answer 2

A paradoxical situation that has no happy ending. A popular movie with Alan Arkin in 1970, Catch-22 came from Joseph Heller's 1961 comical, yet gruesome, best-selling book about pilots in a fictitious World War II setting. The paradox was that no sane pilot would be crazy enough to want to continue flying dangerous missions. The only way a pilot would be grounded is if he were truly crazy, but if he asked to be grounded, he was then considered sane and would not be grounded.

A Catch-22 with software would be trying to install a new version of the OS that conflicts with the current display driver. Although a new version of the display driver may be available for the new version of the OS, the current display driver does not allow the new OS to be installed. Sometimes, a Catch-22 is used synonymously with a "chicken-egg" dilemma (which comes first?), but it is more accurately a conundrum without a winning solution.

Answer 3

Catch 22 based on the title of a 1961 Joseph Heller novel, You can say Catch 22 is a paradox which refers to a lose lose situation. In Joseph Hellers novel " Catch 22 " a good example would be of the Air force rule in which a pilot would be thought of as insane if he continuously flew combat missions without asking to stop flying missions. But if he were to ask to quit they would judge him of being sane and would have to continue flying.

A man is charged of so and so.. upon the judges he claims insanity, the judges say an insane man would not be able to plead insanity so he must be sane and is therefore thrown in jail.

Answer 4

You can't leave today, until you have written "e=mc squared" 50 times, and you have twenty minutes.

at 5 minutes to the bell. you are directed the count just jumped to 100 times.

At 1 minute to the bell, the count just jumped to 150 times...

The daffynition is that every time you are about to realize a goal, the goal moves, so that you cannot ever accomplish the goal!

And, there are no alternatives, no ways to get out of the trials and tribulations!

Answer 5

Procedure is procedure, and dam any commonsense. One general one would be pro environment folks work hard to get passed pro environmental laws, and some large corporations use these laws to justify not building more efficient but more costly less toxic plants.
Personally whenever you find yourself in a dammed if I do it or dammed if I don't predicament your in a catch 22 situation. Getting your car inspected when it can't pass inspection might be common example.

Answer 6

i think it started in the army, you always have a catch 22, there never a end to solve your problem, you put in a request to be transferred, but then your told, ohhh you got to fill out these other forms, six months later, your told they got lost and, here you go, start all over again, then it gets approved, low and behold, but you have to stay there 18 months , to be able to get the transfer, but you only have a year left to serve, so thats a catch 22

Answer 7

It's a damned if you do, damned if you don't type situation (from the book of the same name)

Example:
If I sell my car stereo I will have money to buy the amp I really want, but I wont really have need for an amp because I no longer have a car stereo.

Answer 8

It means a problem that you cant get out of.

Like drinking alcohol. You cant drink and drive, yet police know that you will drive your car to the bar, and then attempt to drive it home, and they will pull you over and ticket you for DUI (Driving Under the Influence)...

Yet say you walk to the bar, the police know you are going to walk home, and they stop you on the street and give you a ticket for PI (Public Intoxication)...

Catch 22, you are screwed either way.

Answer 9

When u got in trouble.
Example: you are going to an important party.
your nice cloths becom dity suddenly and you don't have time for change them. what do you do? It means catch 22

Answer 10

It means "Damned if I do, Damned if I don't". In other words if you do, it could lead to bad results, and if you don't, it also could lead to bad results. A "Catch 22" situation!!