catch-22

Situation in which one can’t win because one is trapped by a paradox. The term was the title of a 1961 war novel by Joseph Heller. It refers to an Air Force rule whereby a pilot is considered insane if he contin- ues to fly combat missions without asking for relief, but if he asks for relief he is considered sane enough to continue flying. The term was further popu- larized by a motion picture and today is used to describe common dilemmas in civilian life. Opera singer Renée Fleming described it well: “For potential engagements, the catch-22 was that it was very hard to get an audition if you didn’t have a manager, and it was almost impossible to get a manager unless you’d won an audition” (The Inner Voice, 2004). See also DAMNED IF YOU DO, DAMNED IF YOU DON’T.