Can cryptic messages actually allow time travelers to avoid creating a paradox? I’d think not. I don’t see how being ambiguous would make a difference to the stream of time. ON the other hand it does make for some simple yet effective writing to make any kind of prophetic statement vague and open to interpretation. What do you think?
(See American television program Heroes for an example: “Save the cheerleader, save the world.”)
Perhaps he’s not trying to avoid a paradox but instead cause one to shift the direction of time, to obtain a more favorable result. (for Heroes, if they had been successful, he wouldn’t need to bother coming back)