So where does ambivalence come from? Many psychologists and social scientists report that certain personality traits tend to be associated with the ambivalent stance, such as obsessive compulsive tendencies, unhealthy psychological defensive styles (such as splitting), and underdeveloped problem solving skills.

Is ambivalence a mental illness?

Defined in 1910 by Eugen Bleuler as the fundamental symptom of disorders in the spectrum of schizophrenia, ambivalence is the tendency of the schizophrenic mind to make—in a non-dialectic and unsurpassable manner for the subject—two affective attitudes or two opposite ideas coexist at the same time and with the same ...

Is it bad to be ambivalent?

Whether we're aware of it or not, most of us view ambivalence as a mindset to be avoided. Decades of research have shown that holding both negative and positive attitudes about something makes us uncomfortable and anxious. More often than not, ambivalence is regarded as a weakness that causes unnecessary conflict.