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Dialectical thinking - the "both-and" mode of thinking, versus the "either/or" mode - is the difference between failure and success, between disorder and health, and between counterfeit versions of Christianity and actual, life-transforming Christlikeness. In this episode, get a crash course on how this concept shows up in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), German philosophy (briefly!), and biblical theology. Bonus points if you can spot the references to a KC Green cartoon and a Mitch Hedberg bit.

Content notice: brief general mentions of suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, and substance abuse throughout the episode.

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georg_Wilhelm_Friedrich_Hegel

Original wording of the Hegel quote: “The bud disappears when the blossom breaks through, and we might say that the former is refuted by the latter; in the same way when the fruit comes, the blossom may be explained to be a false form of the plant’s existence, for the fruit appears as its true nature in place of the blossom. These stages are not merely differentiated; they supplant one another as being incompatible with one another. But the ceaseless activity of their own inherent nature makes them at the same time moments of an organic unity, where they not merely do not contradict one another, but where one is as necessary as the other; and this equal necessity of all moments constitutes alone and thereby the life of the whole.” See this in its original context on page 3 of this document: http://home.lu.lv/~ruben/Vestures_filozofija/Hegel-The%20Phemenology%20of%20Mind.pdf

One good explainer on Hegelian dialectics - https://www.reddit.com/r/hegel/comments/16pkt6a/can_someone_explain_hegels_dialectics_like_i_am/

Marsha Linehan on the origins of DBT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bULL3sSc_-I

With All Your Psyche explores topics related to mental health, relationships, and faith, but it's not a substitute for therapy or professional care - though it might give you some ideas to bring up with your own therapist or pastor! If something you hear on this podcast brings up personal concerns for you, or if you need support in other areas of your life, please reach out to a licensed professional such as myself or others you can find through the therapist directory at PsychologyToday.com.