Fun Monday looked like fun but I didn't participate. We
were asked to name our favorite words. I have always
thought "paradigm" a very interesting word and so fun
to pronounce.  I am only going to attempt to give a definition.

1. A typical example or pattern of something, a model.
2. A world view underlying the theories and methodology

of a particular scientific subject.  

3. A set of linguistic items that form mutually exclusive

choices in particular syntactic roles:  English determiners

form a paradigm:  we can say "a book" or "his book" but 

not "a his book."  

Simple common analogy: A simplified analogy for paradigm is a habit of reasoning or, the box in the commonly used phrase "thinking outside the box". Thinking inside the box is analogous with normal science. The box encompasses the thinking of normal science and thus the box is analogous with paradigm. "Thinking outside the box" would be what Kuhn calls revolutionary science. Revolutionary science is usually unsuccessful, and only rarely leads to new paradigms. When they are successful they lead to large scale changes in the scientific worldview. (Wikipedia)

Here is an excellent song called "Paradigm" by All Together Separate.


Everybody loves a rose,
But will you be thankful for the thorns?
Love is easy when you're loved,
But do you curse another when you're alone?


Chorus:
Oh, I give my life to You so I can gain it back again
Oh, I stand solid while the paradigm is shifting


You say live and let live,
But people are dying everyday
And you way what I don't know won't hurt me
But if what I do not know
Is the very thing I need,
Then I say


Humanity sees truth through a shattered window pane
That blocks the view,
And plants the seed
So we draw the curtains to close but I say
That the sun can still shine behind a closed mind
And sticks and stones do hurt
When tossed from the tongue of mankind