Ambivalence

"Ambivalence: The holding, at the same time, of 2 opposing emotions, attitudes, ideas or wishes toward the same person, situation, or object. The coexistence of contradictory emotions, attitudes, ideas, or desires with respect to a particular person, object, or situation." (cita)

I have been writing a paper on the myth of Simón Bolívar for my Symbols, Myths and Legends class. Here is a supercool thing I read in a supercool (albeit old) book called Culto a Bolívar (Cult to Bolivar). It says:

Obervación. La ‹‹aflicción›› no suele ser sólo una verdad psicológica real, sincera en muchos casos; menos, o nada sincera en otros; sino también un recurso literario legítimo, a menos que se negara todo valor a la literatura, a la poesía, a la elocuencia. Pero, ¿es que esas formas de la expresión—como fenómenos humanos que son—no tienen función alguna legítima, según ocasiones, público, etc.? ¿Es que sólo existe, con legitimidad, el ‹‹discurso histórico›› científico, analítico, sin emoción, sin pathos? Yo creo que ambas formas de expresión humana conviven legítimamente. En efecto, aquí se peca a menudo tomando todo por ‹‹historiografía››, cuando hay otros géneros, también válidos... (Joaquín Gabaldón Márquez 7)

My bad translation is thus:
"Observation. The 'affliction' [referred to in the book--the 'cult' to Bolívar] isn't just a real psychological truth, sincere in many cases; less, or not at all sincere in others; but also it is a legitimate literary resource, unless it negates all validity of literature, poetry, and eloquence. But is it that those forms of expression--as human phenomena that they are--don't have some legitimate function, depending on occasion, audience, etc? It is just that only the 'historical discourse' exists legitimately, scientific, analytic, emotionless, without pathos? I believe that both forms of human expression live together legitimately. In effect, here we err sometimes taking everything as "historiography," when there are other genres, also valid..."

That is what I'm talking about. So, if that didn't work for you, don't worry--it was an anthropology book. Just look at my photoshopped picture of Bolívar for my paper instead and be amused. teehee.