Are you in Catch-22? What it means?

Well! Suppose you're a fresher who wants a job, but the job requires experience, and to be an experienced one, you require a job. So, it's a catch-22 situation. Complicated ha! 

So, the question is, what is Catch-22?

Basically, "Catch-22" is a term originally came from Joseph Heller’s 1961 novel *Catch-22*. The book is focused on describing no-win situation, a situation where you're trapped by contradictory rules or logic. The rules are designed so you would never win.

The classic example from the novel is this:

A World War II bomber pilot wants to be declared insane so he can stop flying dangerous missions. But the military says:  

• If you want to get out of flying missions, that means you're sane (because only a sane person would want to avoid dying).  
• And if you're sane, then you *must* keep flying missions.  

So, either way, you're stuck, and that’s the catch — Catch-22.

It’s basically a circular trap, a loop, that makes you go, “Well, that’s impossible.”

Also read: What is Dopamine? How it works?

The Bigger Meaning – In Real Life

After the book became popular, in 1960-70, Catch-22 entered everyday language. It now refers to any situation where you're stuck because of conflicting conditions.

Some real-world examples:

In Jobs

"You need experience to get a job, but you need a job to get experience."

The system contradicts itself—you're stuck unless someone breaks the cycle.

Credit/Loans

"You need credit history to get a credit card, but to build credit history, you need a credit card."

Another loop that makes progress difficult.

Healthcare or Insurance

"You’re too sick to work and need insurance, but you can’t get insurance because you're not working."

You're punished by the system for being in need.

Mental Health

"You're mentally unwell, you call for help, but if you’re truly mentally unwell, you might not be capable of doing that."

Help requires clarity, but clarity only comes after getting help.