Ambivalence. -Noun

By , April 30, 2010 12:34 am

In my judgment, the word “Ambivalence” is grossly misunderstood.  I often hear it mistakenly used as a fancy synonym of ‘Indifference’.  More painfully, the majority of the times I’ve used the word in important conversations, I’ve been improperly chastised for my indifference.

At the risk of sounding pedantic, I’d like to help clear up this confusion.  These two words are NOT equivalent.  In fact, ambivalence is an antonym of indifference.  Indifference implies a lack of interest or concern.  Ambivalence, on the other hand, implies the simultaneous existence of conflicting interests or concerns.  When I use the term, I use it to highlight the fact that I have very strong feelings both for and against a particular idea or issue.  I use the word when I just can’t fucking make up my mind! 

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