The concept of Hedgehog's Dilemma originates from the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer's Parerga und Paralipomena.
The following is an example to describe what the dilemma means.
"On a chilly winter day, a group of hedgehogs decides to huddle together for warmth, but as they move closer, they begin to prick one another with their quills. They immediately move away from one another, only to have the frigid air drive them back together. But again, the painful pricking occurs and they step back. This is a metaphor about the challenges of human intimacy".
