A typical scenario for modern social relationships is the “overlapping lover” pattern, commonly called “shingling”—establishing a new romance before severing a current one. The borderline exemplifies this constant need for partnership: As the borderline climbs the jungle gym of relationships, he cannot let go of the lower bar until he has firmly grasped the higher one. Typically, the borderline will not leave his current, abusive spouse until a new “white knight” is at least visible on the horizon.
