4 September 2017
ambivalence
[am-biv-uh-luh ns]
noun
1. uncertainty or fluctuation, especially when caused by inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite or conflicting things.
2. Psychology. the coexistence within an individual of positive and negative feelings toward the same person, object, or action, simultaneously drawing him or her in opposite directions.
Also, ambivalency.
Origin of ambivalence
1910-1915 First recorded in 1910-15; ambi- + valence
Related forms
ambivalent, adjective
Dictionary.com
Examples from the Web for ambivalence
Contemporary Examples
The ambivalence is reflected in U.S. policy, which often has served to complicate aid delivery in conflict zones.
Why Humanitarians Talk to ISIS
Joshua Hersh
October 23, 2014
A strong note of ambivalence is also present in the conflict over love and duty between Gromov and his wife.
Fake Snowden Is Russia’s Newest TV Star
Cathy Young
October 11, 2014
The administration appears united behind Obama, but with an undercurrent of ambivalence that the president no doubt shares.
How the Obama Administration Reversed Course on Syria Strikes
Eleanor Clift, Josh Rogin
August 28, 2013
In content, they deal in lost loves, lost opportunities, and the ambivalence inspired by a difficult childhood.
This Week’s Hot Reads: June 17, 2013
Sarah Stodola, Jen Vafidis
June 16, 2013
After 10 years of marriage, our ambivalence towards kids has been consistent.
Why I Choose to Be Child-Free: Readers Share Their Stories
Harry Siegel
February 26, 2013
Or at least an ambivalence toward reading the Megilla—an invitation to drink in itself.
Purim Perils: His View Is His Own
Rabbi Daniel Landes
February 17, 2013
The thoughtful man said he was surprised at how the top security officials expressed their own ambivalence and regrets.
‘The Gatekeepers,’ Brooklyn College BDS Forum: Week of Israel Debate
Gail Sheehy
February 7, 2013
Historical Examples
But now also the psychological fatality of ambivalence demands its rights.
Totem and Taboo
Sigmund Freud
With the decline of this ambivalence the taboo, as the compromise symptom of the ambivalent conflict, also slowly disappeared.
Totem and Taboo
Sigmund Freud
Anagram
manacle vibe
becalm naive
bail cavemen
Today’s quote
It seems we are capable of immense love and loyalty, and as capable of deceit and atrocity. It’s probably this shocking ambivalence that makes us unique.
– John Scott
On this day
4 September 1937 – birth of Dawn Fraser AO MBE, Australian swimming legend. Won Olympic gold medals in 1956, 1960 and 1964, as well as a number of silver medals.
4 September 2006 – death of Steve Irwin, ‘The Crocodile Hunter’, Australian wildlife expert and television personality. (Born 22 February 1962).