less_retarded_wiki/antivirus_paradox.md
2022-09-03 14:13:46 +02:00

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Antivirus Paradox

{ I think this paradox must have had another established name even before antiviruses, but I wasn't able to find anything. If you know it, let me know. ~drummyfish }

Antivirus paradox is the paradox of someone who's job it is to eliminate certain undesirable phenomenon actually having an interest in keeping this phenomenon existing so as to keep his job. A typical example is an antivirus company having an interest in the existence of dangerous viruses and malware so as to keep their business running; in fact antivirus companies themselves secretly create and release viruses and malware.

It is a known phenomenon that many firefighters are also passionate arsonists because society simply rewards them for fighting fires (as opposed to rewarding them for the lack of fires).

In capitalism and similar systems requiring people to have jobs this paradox prevents progress, i.e. actual elimination of undesirable phenomena, hence capitalism and similar systems are anti-progress. And not only that, the system pressures people to artificially creating new undesirable phenomena (e.g. lack of women in tech and similar bullshit) just to create new bullshit jobs that "fight" this phenomena. In a truly good society where people are not required to have jobs and in which people aim to eliminate work this paradox largely disappears.