A classic communication theory, the double bind, may offer a unifying explanation for the paradoxes at the core of borderline personality disorder.

Jeanie Y. Chang, a workplace mental health expert, said one of the most toxic traits of a company is to give contradicting messages.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. How many times have you heard this? More importantly, how many times have you said it about a situation you were in? This is called a double bind: the feeling ...