Two Truths Can Exist at the Same Time

"Ambivalence calls for us to somehow reconcile that we can experience and feel oppositional emotions and truths at the same time, such as fear and calm, bitterness and sweetness, anger and delight, sadness and happiness. It takes courage and effort to admit to our inner contradictions, those that color our everyday feelings, interactions, and relationships, and which are so often socially and personally unacceptable. We need to flow with this challenging and often counterintuitive state of mind."

"It seems that the saying "two truths can exist at the same time" is gaining traction in our social conversation. This is an entry point into both how I understand and am reframing ambivalence, a word which is mostly misunderstood, maligned, and sidelined, while ironically being a central and powerful part of our everyday experience. Ambivalence means: 1: simultaneous and contradictory attitudes or feelings (such as attraction and repulsion) toward an object, person, or action"

Ambivalence describes holding simultaneous and contradictory feelings, continual fluctuation between opposites, and uncertainty about which course to follow. Conflicting emotions produce tensions that may remain separate or require integration, challenging assumptions about coherence. People can feel fear and calm, bitterness and sweetness, anger and delight, sadness and happiness at once. Acknowledging inner contradictions requires courage and effort because many contradictions are socially and personally unacceptable. Social and personal discomfort often drives defaults to binary choices, reducing fluidity and movement. Embracing ambivalence invites flow, integration, and acceptance of complex, coexisting emotional states.

Read at Psychology Today