We count on the yellow line to keep opposing traffic from colliding. Trying to separate people into us and them isn’t as easy and it isn’t safe.
“He’s a bad dude.” “She has no morals whatsoever.” “That group of people don’t have a clue.” These are the kinds of hyperbolic statements I frequently hear batted about these days.
Each of these assertions demonstrate a psychological phenomenon called splitting. Splitting is defined as the polarization of beliefs, actions, or persons into good and bad by focusing selectively on a few positive or negative attributes. Splitting identifies individuals or groups as belonging exclusively with one extreme or another.
Of course, people are much more complicated than splitting would have us believe. Persons engender both good and bad qualities. Our actions can range widely from compassion to indifference. Even groups can hold simultaneously beliefs that are beneficial to society and detrimental to society.
Of course, people are much more complicated than splitting would have us believe. Persons engender both good and bad qualities. Our actions can range widely from compassion to indifference. Even groups can hold simultaneously beliefs that are beneficial to society and detrimental to society.
There was a time in Paul’s life that he believed himself to be a pure and holy person. However, after Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, Paul came to identify himself as a “blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man” (1 Timothy 1:13, NIV). The reality is that Paul displayed characteristics of good and evil, nobility and malice.
The same is true for each of us. As Christians, we have been justified by the grace of God through our faith in Jesus Christ. God has poured out abundantly His grace upon us. However, each of us is still in need of God’s grace for the purpose of our sanctification. No disciple of Christ is either completely flawed or flawless. Such is the nature of the human condition.
The same is true for each of us. As Christians, we have been justified by the grace of God through our faith in Jesus Christ. God has poured out abundantly His grace upon us. However, each of us is still in need of God’s grace for the purpose of our sanctification. No disciple of Christ is either completely flawed or flawless. Such is the nature of the human condition.
So, you may wish to count to ten the next time you are tempted to name a political party as being soulless. You also will be well-served to use caution when labeling an individual with whom you disagree in the extreme. Actions such as splitting the bill or splitting a log or even splitting a piece of pie are all well and good. Splitting people, however, has nasty pattern for leaving a bloody trail.