What does the phrase "catch 22" mean and why?

Question

I have heard this phrase in movies, read it in books and heard different people use it. I feel like an idiot. If it is dirty, dont bother to answer, and I appologize!

Answer 1

it's like a double edged sword. good with evil. u get something, but need to do something.

Answer 2

A Great Expression.

A catch is a hidden difficulty / meaning something like, 'fine print'

Is this 'phrase' bugging the heck out of you?

What is the Phrase 'Catch 22' all about?

1. It refers to a 'No-win Situation'

2. Whatever happens, you lose either way.

3. It is paradoxical like, 'Heads I win & tail, you lose'

4. It is the Title of Joseph Heller's book ( he wanted to call it 'Catch 18 & had to change his mind) & later, a Movie.
.
5,In short, Catch 22 means : 'whatever happens, there will CERTAINLY be a BAD Outcome'!

Along with this phrase, remember the Parody:

'Some men are born Mediocre;

Some achieve mediocrity

& some have mediocrity thrust upon them!'

Is this what we call Bad Fate / karma?

Q2: Why is such a situation called Catch 22?

Joseph Heller tells of such a situation 'Catch 22' in his book. Read on:

Quote:"Catch-22
from the title of Joseph Heller's 1961 novel. In widespread use only after release of movie based on the book in 1970. The "catch" is that a bomber pilot is insane if he flies combat missions without asking to be relieved from duty, and is thus eligible to be relieved from duty. But if he asks to be relieved from duty, that means he's sane and has to keep flying".Unquote.

Answer 3

The phrase is the name of a book by Joseph Heller. It is a paradox, and is generally is used to mean a no-win situation.

Here is the explanation from the book itself:

"There was only one catch and that was Catch-22, which specified that a concern for one's safety in the face of dangers that were real and immediate was the process of a rational mind. [The pilot] was crazy and could be grounded. All he had to do was ask; and as soon as he did, he would no longer be crazy and would have to fly more missions. Orr would be crazy to fly more missions and sane if he didn't, but if he was sane he had to fly them. If he flew them he was crazy and didn't have to; but if he didn't want to he was sane and had to."

Another example might be the character Kinger in M*A*S*H, who, by acting crazy to try to be released from an insane situation - war - demonstrates his own sanity in wanting to ecape it, and thus will never be found insane, and never be sent home.

Answer 4

It's from a book of the same title, and it refers to the idea that you can get sent back from the front line if you are deemed crazy, but only crazy people would want to stay at the front line. So if you can prove you're crazy, you stay. But if you want to leave (who wouldn't want to get away from being shot at?), you must be sane, so you have to stay.
It's not dirty. But it is a great book and worth the read.

Answer 5

Catch 22 refers to an unsolvable problem, its sorta like needing to know how to spell a word, and you cant look it up in the dictionary, because you don't know how to spell it. The movie that "catch 22" originated in was a Koren or WW2 movie.

Answer 6

Read the book

Answer 7

If you don't have a visa, you can't get a job. If you don't have a job, you can't get a visa. You're in a Catch 22 situation. This is an example, I think.

Answer 8

The only way you can get out is if you are crazy; and if you want to get out, then you are sane.

A condition that makes it impossible to fulfill a premise


From the book

Answer 9

It means "you are damned if you do and you are damned if you don't. Either way the particular situation goes, someone has to lose.