These simultaneous contradictory truths or opinions existing in our heads that are a curse to live with… they put us on slippery ground and let us stay there… to sulk if nothing else. And are far too many and in no particular order.

They become pronounced, for instance, in our stand on women’s position and status in society.

There is an unwritten consensus on how women need to be empowered, brought at par with men. And that’s where we lose the plot. Or ignore it. They must be at par in every single thing men do. Thus women in the armed forces must be celebrated as much as women who become fighter pilots. Because this decision of women affirms they are not ‘inferior’ to men in any way.

Suddenly, you find men and women around you, who otherwise argue against segregation, enthusiastically herald the arrival of a pink rickshaw. And then there are us women who wouldn’t mind the best of both worlds i.e. equality and chivalry.

Perhaps in the unequal world this is, that’s how it’s meant to be. Because the moment women step out to work, aiming to find greater meaning for their lives than ascribed to them by society, they discover that nothing has changed. Except perhaps their own decision. They spend the rest of life negotiating their achievement with a sense of guilt as well as remorse for the almost unchangeable gender roles.

But there’s no end to the contradictions.

Those who lament over media’s sensational depiction of model Ayyan Ali are at once reminded of her sensational depiction of herself before the very media. "Why are you taking her side when this is what she wants," the other side seems keen to tell you.

It becomes a tad difficult to take a stand but not impossible, at least in the Ayyan Ali case. Not as easy in the Mumtaz Qadri verdict by the apex court of the country, especially if you’re opposed to capital punishment. Your compassion for the nameless and faceless offenders pales when it comes to the self-confessing criminal whose broad daylight murder had been collectively experienced.

The compassion withers equally in the face of nameless terrorists from the tribal hinterlands inflicting senseless harm, and death penalty as well military courts get a justification. As the right to fair trial takes a backseat, no one appears to think we are trying to deter a would-be suicide bomber from death.

Likewise it is when peaceniks stand up in favour of military operations against ‘terrorism’. And likewise when sticklers for facts, truths or collateral damage turn a blind eye to what happens to communities under military operations. Selective information substitutes for gospel truth. Only a matter of time before ThankYouRaheelSharif becomes a hashtag.

Contradictions haunt us persistently.

Benevolent military dictatorship is better than a ‘corrupt’ democracy but the vice versa holds true as well. You get to hear perfectly educated people utter how the qaum (nation) is only good for danda (stick) while there is an equal chance to see your democratically-elected leader leave all decision-making to his favourite bureaucrats.

You don’t really know if there’s any contradiction in your political beliefs when you have to choose who to vote between PML-N and PTI.

In your personal lives, modern technology is becoming addictive (don’t remember when wasn’t) and this lack of physical interaction on social media is not good for your souls. You read all this in an amazing article on your smart phone and share it on Facebook to discover how it’s been instantly liked by so many of your friends who too have read it on their smart phones.

What a cursed contradictory life we all continue to live!