No standard or rule can settle the question of what something means, says the philosopher Wittgenstein. To apply a standard or a rule correctly you have to interpret it, and that interpretation requires an interpretation, and so on.
“Wittgenstein’s paradox” is supposed to make us wonder whether we can rightly interpret what others say or do. It questions whether we can truly understand the motivations and point of view of another person. And if you can’t understand people who play an important role in your life, then how can you know yourself?
