What I don’t understand is why the problem is not expressed this way from
the beginning.
I don’t know for sure—but perhaps a memetic analaysis of paradoxes might throw light on the issue:
Famous paradoxes are often the ones that cause the most confusion and discussion. Debates and arguments make for good fun and drama—and so are copied around by the participants. If you think about it that way, finding a “paradox” that is confusingly expressed may not be such a surprise.
Another example would be: why does the mirror reverse left and right but not up and down?
There, the wrong way of looking at the problem seems to be built into the question.
I don’t know for sure—but perhaps a memetic analaysis of paradoxes might throw light on the issue:
Famous paradoxes are often the ones that cause the most confusion and discussion. Debates and arguments make for good fun and drama—and so are copied around by the participants. If you think about it that way, finding a “paradox” that is confusingly expressed may not be such a surprise.
Another example would be: why does the mirror reverse left and right but not up and down?
There, the wrong way of looking at the problem seems to be built into the question.
( Feynman’s answer ).