Catch-22

"Catch-22" refers to a paradoxical situation where an individual cannot escape a problem because of contradictory rules or conditions. The term originates from Joseph Heller's novel, where a pilot wants to avoid dangerous missions but can't be declared insane unless he requests to be grounded, which demonstrates rational thinking. Thus, he is caught in a no-win dilemma: he must be sane to avoid danger but has to be insane to escape it. In broader contexts, a "Catch-22" describes any scenario where the solutions are negated by the rules, leaving the person in a frustrating, inescapable position.