A serious curiosity derived from something I’ve noticed more and more often lately:
What the hell has happened to nuanced thought? It seems every day- more and more, it’s either this or that, with us or against us, black or white. What happened to the complexity of thought? Why have we come to be so polarized about every single thing that exists? And it seems it doesn’t matter the subject! The moment a topic is brought up. Sides are immediately taken in the War of Being Right.
It used to be that we considered things. We were rational. Logical. Contemplative.
Now? Everyone seems so quick to arrive at hastily constructed arguments that have to be either for or against- where no argument was necessary or even called for to being with!
It seems to me, that we need to relearn what was once so easily understood, and it’s that life exists between the boundaries of one and the other.
Mass media runs on the idea of selling an idea in as few words as possible. It capitalizes on the fact that we are busy people and will only devote an infinitesimal amount of thought and energy into the idea being sold. So make it short, pithy, and at least on the surface, immune to critical analysis.
I can’t begin to count the number of times I’ve composed a multi-faceted point or counterpoint to an opinion, only to be countered with, “I ain’t reading all that.” In that way, people who want to delve into nuance end up getting shut out of the discussion.
It’s out there, but you’re not going to find it on your average social media discussion forum.