double bind

American  

noun

1. Psychology. a situation in which a person is given conflicting cues, especially by a parent, such that to obey one cue is to disobey the other.

2. dilemma.

---

double bind British  

noun

1. a situation of conflict from which there is no escape; unresolvable dilemma

---

Etymology

Origin of double bind

An Americanism dating back to 1955–60

Example Sentences

This creates a vicious double bind for average employees.

From The Wall Street Journal

The group dynamic is what interests Young most because what lies beneath is an inherent "double bind".

From BBC

In Sondheim’s lyrics, the double bind of attachment is often a source of agitation; in Ebb’s it is often a pummeling.

From New York Times

Even more so than writers, actors face a double bind when it comes to labor disputes.

From Los Angeles Times

"So there's that double bind - a lack of people now and the potential lack of finances to pay for them in the future."

From BBC

Related Words

• difficulty
• embarrassment
• impasse
• mess
• plight
• predicament
• problem
• puzzle
• quandary