> A bipolar diagnosis can explain toxic behaviour, but it does not excuse it. Context aside, this is a good maxim and a good thing to keep in mind when dealing

> A bipolar diagnosis can explain toxic behaviour, but it does not excuse it. Context aside, this is a good maxim and a good thing to keep in mind when dealing with others. Moreover, I would argue that it’s not just about dealing with mental illness, but about dealing with people in general - it encapsulates the concept of empathy as it applies to interpersonal relations. You can attempt to analyze the motivations for someone’s behavior without implicitly applying a judgement to them, for the purpose of being able to more effectively work with them in the future toward mutual beneficial goals.