The State Of Ambivalence

Desires and Decisions The term ambivalence refers to the concept of uncertainty or fluctuation, especially when caused by inability to make a choice or by the simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite or conflicting things. This state of ambivalence manifests itself throughout people’s everyday lives. The choices and decisions one makes, whether it be small or large, causes a sense of uncertainty within him/her. Through this uncertainty, a feeling of tension forms with one’s sense of self. The tension is derived from the imminent choice one must conclude with. People may expect to make an ideal choice when one doesn’t actually exist.
…the problem with making a choice for one option is that you have to give up every other possibility
On one end, a woman has the option of keeping the baby, raising it, caring for and loving it, watching it grow old while ruining her reputation or have a living reminder of the father (if the father is not in the picture or is a rapist). At the other end, she can kill the unborn fetus and kill any chance of that fetus having a life, but the woman can retain her life not have to take on the responsibility of caring for a child. The two choices she has both contain “pros” and “cons.” The woman might become afraid of the choice she must make because if she chooses life, she will have to have the responsibility of taking care of a living being and people will judge her; she also might fear she does not possess the resources to help maintain the life of the baby (money for food, diapers, bottles, etc.). If the woman were to choose abortion, she might be fearful because she will being killing something human, something that is a part of her, something that is alive. She could be consumed in guilt because she might consider herself selfish and a murderer. The woman would also become afraid that she might lose some people who are important to her because of the people’s opinions; she will lose people either way. The woman has become ambivalent on this subject and does not want to choose; not because she wants both, but because she doesn’t want the consequence of the choices she