Ambivalence

“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” -F. Scott Fitzgerald

“You need all kinds of influences, including negative ones, to challenge what you believe in.” -Bill Murray

“Art is subjective, which is part of what makes it so beautiful. I find that even if a play/performance/production isn’t my favorite, there are always elements that I honestly respond to positively. I try to focus on communicating those aspects so that I am speaking from the heart.” -Danya Taymor

Some definitions of “ambivalence”:

-the state of having mixed feelings or contradictory ideas (such as attraction and repulsion) about something or someone.

-the experience of having an attitude towards someone or something that contains both positively and negatively valenced components.

-continual fluctuation (as between one thing and its opposite).

Me and my son Truman recently watched the film, The Lighthouse. I loved it until about the last 20 minutes. When it was over…

Me: “Well, that was weird.”

Truman: —-

Me: “I didn’t like the last 20 minutes or so. I was really into it and then it just got weird and depressing and turned into more of a horror film or something. And that ending…I don’t know…I just didn’t like where it went to, and…(blah, blah, blah)”

Truman: —-

Me: “So, what about you? What’d you think of it?”

Truman: “I want to think about it more before I comment or say anything.”

Me: —- (with admiration)

The kid’s a lot smarter than I am.

And clearly more comfortable with ambivalence.

Which often is the whole point of art, isn’t it?