What is Duality Thinking? Meaning and Examples

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Explore how duality affects your everyday life

Co-authored by Sophie Burkholder, BA Reviewed by Kelli Miller, LCSW, MSW

Last Updated: May 14, 2024 Fact Checked

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• What is duality thinking?
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• Examples
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• Overcoming Duality Thinking
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• Causes
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• Impacts

|Show more |Show less

Duality thinking divides the world into opposites: good versus evil, nature versus nurture, breakfast versus break-slow…well, maybe not that last one. Dualistic thinkers use these extreme pairs to simplify complex concepts into black-and-white snapshots. But duality thinking is a complex concept itself and can be difficult to wrap your head (vs. heart) around. This article will tell you the definition of duality thinking with concrete examples from the real world and how dualistic thinking impacts us all.

Things You Should Know

• Duality thinking is a type of thinking that assumes there are only two distinct, opposing options. For example, people are either good or bad, with no in-between.
• Examples of duality thinking include male vs. female, smart vs. stupid, positive vs. negative, true vs. false, or individualism vs. collectivism.
• To change your duality thinking, try to seek out diverse perspectives, practice mindfulness in discussions with others, and recognize your unconscious biases.

Steps

Section 1 of 5:

What is duality thinking?

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1. Duality thinking recognizes only two opposing sides in any situation. Duality thinking is also called black-and-white or either/or thinking. Dualistic thinkers view the world as a binary, seeing people and ideas as only one of two opposite extremes without acknowledging the nuanced possibilities between them.
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Section 2 of 5:

Examples of Duality Thinking

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1. 1
   Good vs. evil This dualistic view on morality separates naturally nuanced humans into two distinct groups. It doesn’t acknowledge how morality is affected by who has power in a given society and every individual’s perspective and upbringing.
2. 2
   Right vs. wrong Dualistic divides behavior using strict ethics of right and wrong. However, without acknowledging the context behind a person’s behavior or the way the society or family they grew up in has shaped their decision-making can lead to stereotyping and unfair judgments.
3. 3
   Smart vs. stupid In school and larger society, we are often taught that there is only one way to be smart and everyone who isn’t “book smart” is stupid. However, there are multiple types of human intelligence, and every person’s skills differ.

   • Even if someone uses larger words than you or solves problems quicker, you may have a higher interpersonal or naturalistic intelligence.
4. 4
   Healthy vs. unhealthy Diet culture and popular knowledge classify foods as unhealthy or unhealthy. In reality, whether your meals are healthy depends on the quantity of the food and what your body needs. Most so-called unhealthy foods are healthy in small amounts, while obsessively eating healthy foods can become unhealthy.
5. 5
   Male vs. female The gender binary categorizes people strictly as men or women based on the genitalia they were born with, but many people identify outside these two groups. Some people use the singular pronoun they instead of he or she. Other identities include genderqueer, genderfluid, non-binary and agender.
6. 6
   Nature vs. nurture These two sides argue whether someone’s personality is shaped by genetics (‘nature’) or by environmental factors (nurture). This dualistic view doesn’t allow the possibility that multiple factors from both sides may influence who we become.
7. 7
   Liberalism vs. conservatism Liberals are believed to embrace change and social equality, while conservatives resist change and tolerate inequality. Many different political and social beliefs exist within and between each group. A liberal person may share some beliefs with a conservative person that they don’t share with other liberals.
8. 8
   Capitalism vs. communism Heavily simplified, capitalism gives resources based on the value of possessions and production, while communism gives based on need. These two economic and political systems are seen as opposites, but many economic systems exist between these two extremes.
9. 9
   Atheism vs. theismWhile atheists believe that no higher power exists, theists believe that one or more divine beings are solely responsible for our world and identity. However, neither side can be proven and the argument doesn’t acknowledge other belief structures, such as philosophical or spiritual belief systems like Confucianism and naturalism.
10. 10
    Individuality vs. collectivism This dualistic conflict exists between people prioritizing individual interests and those prioritizing the greater good of society. However, most people fall somewhere on this spectrum rather than on either end, and their actions may not align with whether their country or culture is stereotypically individualist or collectivist.
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Section 3 of 5:

Overcoming Duality Thinking

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1. 1
   Seek out diverse perspectives. Read books and news articles, or watch movies with different ideas or ways of thinking. Engage with people from different backgrounds. Remember that you don’t have to agree with these people or ideas, but they may help you understand the complexities of life.
2. 2
   Practice mindfulness and awareness. Ask yourself the following questions the next time you’re discussing an issue with someone:

   • Are you actually listening to their point of view?
   • Are you only listening to multiple perspectives so you look good?
   • Could their perspective change yours if it had good logic?
   • How often do you genuinely set your perspective aside?
   • Are you debating more than dialoguing or discussing?
3. 3
   Recognize your unconscious biases. While it can be difficult to admit, we all have unconscious biases that affect how we treat people. The important part is doing the work to become more inclusive and understanding of all people and perspectives.

   • Pay attention to your thoughts, especially when making assumptions about others.
   • Examine the actual beliefs behind your assumptions. If someone is crying at work and your unconscious tells you they’re weak, ask if they’re okay. Maybe they’re in a difficult situation and are showing incredible strength just coming into the office!
   • Consider how you react to people from different backgrounds and if you hold any stereotypes about certain racial or social groups.
   • Let others challenge your beliefs and give you feedback. Accept this constructive criticism with an open mind.
   • Keep a list of unconscious biases to return to and examine.
4. 4
   Detach yourself from a single outcome. Starting with a so-called correct outcome in your head will limit your possibilities for success and growth. Practice seeing success as inviting new ideas and seeing what works best. If the outcome isn’t what you hoped for, take it as a lesson rather than a failure.
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Section 4 of 5:

Causes of Duality Thinking

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1. 1
   Cognitive dissonance. When a person considers conflicting ideas at once, they may try to relieve feelings of discomfort by oversimplifying or seeking out information that only confirms one side of the argument.

   • For example, someone may know that greenhouse emissions cause global warming but also enjoy driving their gas-guzzler car. To ease any guilt, they may try to find research or experts that negate the result of greenhouse gases on global warming.
2. 2
   Cultural norms. Norms teach us the difference between right and wrong but only apply to our specific society or culture. For example, growing up in a collectivist culture may make you see a very individualistic person as selfish or short-sighted.

   • Likewise, cultural beauty norms differ widely, so someone who may be considered ugly in one culture would be beautiful in another.
3. 3
   Evolutionary traits. Humans become more vigilant when given two distinct options, as they might in a fight-or-flight situation. When given a simplified version of the world, people make decisions more quickly and close their minds off to other possibilities.
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Section 5 of 5:

Negative Impacts of Duality Thinking

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1. 1
   Duality thinking has damaging effects on our individual growth. Dualistic thinking may distort our perception of reality by ignoring complexity and nuance in favor of contrasting extremes. Similarly, it may limit our potential as we only consider our worldview rather than expanding our minds to include others.
2. 2
   Dualistic thinking reinforces set power structures. By tossing aside alternate ideas and points of view, the most dominant voice will always maintain power and privilege.

   • For example, males are stereotypically viewed as more leadership-oriented, while females are considered more emotional.
   • Continuously putting more men than women in leadership roles reinforces this binary. It doesn’t allow women to have enough power to change this way of thinking.
3. 3
   Dualistic thinking promotes prejudice and discrimination. This type of thinking creates divisions between in-groups and out-groups, or an “us versus them” outlook on the world.

   • Categorizing groups of people as either good or bad leads to prejudice and discrimination against racial groups, LGBTQ+ people, women, people with disabilities, and other minority demographics.
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