Do you have a hard time telling if a person is good or bad? What is splitting in psychology?
David Emerald explains that a helpless mindset shapes the way you see and relate to other people. With this mindset, you tend to view others as either oppressors or saviors, which is the psychological concept called “splitting.”
Let’s take a closer look at splitting and the harmful effects of perceiving others as either extremely good or bad people.
Viewing Others as Either Oppressors or Saviors
According to some psychologists, the binary nature of these two roles mirrors the psychological concept of splitting. So, what is splitting in psychology? This cognitive distortion is a defense mechanism in which people categorize individuals as entirely good or bad.
Splitting often stems from a need to simplify complex situations and reduce anxiety. Thus, those who feel overwhelmed by unsolvable problems on account of their helpless mindset may be especially prone to this defense mechanism. This is because you’re so focused on your troubles that you only see other people in terms of how they relate to those troubles: Are these people alleviating them or exacerbating them?
We’ll briefly explain each of these roles, why they’re detrimental, and the harms of this outlook in general.
Role 1) Oppressor
Emerald defines an oppressor as someone you blame as the cause of your troubles in life. Viewing someone as an oppressor creates feelings of resentment and hostility, often encouraging you to lash out—which may even lead them to see you as an oppressor. For instance, an employee who constantly blames their boss for their lack of career advancement may develop resentment, leading them to underperform or speak negatively about their supervisor. This behavior could then cause the boss to view the employee as a problem, creating a cycle of mutual antagonism.
(Shortform note: The oppressor-oppressed dynamic can turn not only into a mutual feeling of resentment, but can also create self-fulfilling prophecies. According to some psychologists, a self-fulfilling prophecy occurs when your expectations about a situation or person influence your behavior in a way that causes those expectations to be realized. So for example, your behavior toward someone you view as an oppressor can drive them to respond with hostility and antagonism, therefore actually fulfilling the role of the oppressor and worsening your troubles in life.)
Role 2) Savior
A savior is someone who solves your problems—or someone who you expect will solve them. Emerald challenges the conventional view of the savior as a positive figure. He argues that while saviors may have good intentions, their actions can inadvertently reinforce the helpless person’s feelings of dependency. For instance, a well-meaning friend who constantly offers to complete tasks for a struggling colleague may unintentionally prevent them from developing necessary skills and confidence—ultimately reinforcing their sense of inadequacy and reliance on others.
(Shortform note: According to some psychologists, this savior dynamic can be detrimental to the person doing the rescuing as well as the one being rescued. This is because a desire to help others may be the result of a savior complex. People with a savior complex often have low-self esteem, and compensate for this by creating a fantasy narrative where they’re uniquely capable of solving others’ problems. This mindset can lead to excessive personal sacrifices, including time, money, and emotional energy, and can ultimately result in burnout. Furthermore, by helping others to compensate for their low-self esteem, those with a savior complex continue ignoring the root of their own mental health problems.)
The Harmful Effects of the Oppressor/Savior Outlook
While many see saviors as good and oppressors as bad, Emerald argues that both are bad, and this is overall a harmful way of categorizing other people. With this outlook, you don’t take responsibility for your problems: Oppressors are responsible for causing them, and saviors are responsible for solving them. This reinforces your mindset of helplessness.
Furthermore, by reducing other people to these roles, you may no longer see them as complete human beings with whom you can have deeper and more meaningful connections. Thus, this outlook can lower the quality of your relationships with friends, family, and romantic partners.
| Additional Harmful Effects of Viewing Others as Saviors or Oppressors In addition to failing to take responsibility for your problems, viewing others as saviors or oppressors may decrease your quality of life in a variety of ways. Constantly looking out for oppressors may lead to a state of heightened alertness and sensitivity to threats, which psychologists call “hypervigilance.” Prolonged hypervigilance can result in cumulative wear and tear on the body due to chronic stress impacting both mental and physical health over time. Constantly looking for saviors can leave you open to deception and manipulation. Scammers and con artists often pose as people who can solve a problem, such as recovering lost money. By relying on others for help, you may be more easily deceived by those who pretend to fulfill that role. Furthermore, as Emerald notes, viewing others as saviors or oppressors can reduce your emotional connection in relationships. This lack of emotional connection has been linked to increased levels of anxiety and depression, as well as increased levels of conflict and resentment in relationships. |
