I just wrote an entire paragraph with physics equations and a bunch of explanation for how a CVT works before I realized it was all bullshit. It's simple. The CVT is a rubber band, the engine is your hand pulling on it so that the rubber band moves in a circular motion. Or if it's simpler for you, like riding a bike with a chain. The more you pull the rubber band (engine torque), the more strain you place on it. Put on too much, it's going to snap. If the rubber band is already moving and you pull it, you won't be placing as great a force on it, but it will still be significant. Its like spinning a heavy wheel; from a dead stop its difficult and you need quite a bit of torque placing a lot of strain on you and the wheel, but the same amount of torque at a higher rotational speed will not require as much effort from all the connecting parts. Pull it from no motion to fast motion very quickly with little resistance like with a light wheel (think spinning tires), you're placing a lot of initial force on the rubber band. Tune your car for more torque (pulling on the rubber band harder), you're more likely to snap it. Paddles are not very different from automatic I would think, because these CVTs really like to mimic gears even in automatic. Try throttling around 30% on the move, you'll notice the car seems to stay in a gear. Now go to 60%, the car will "kick down" a gear. CVTs also regularly slip their belts. You can feel it sometimes. Slip creates friction, friction creates heat, heat creates more material breakdown. At least that's how I understand it.
