Standing Boldy for Nuance
The case for complex thinking in a world of political soundbites.
Society was built by all-or-nothing thinking. The inconvenient truth of human history is our greatest achievements often rely on convincing the masses not to look into the dirty details.
Then the internet happened.
Suddenly the details are everywhere. Now, our collective distaste for complexity threatens to destroy all we’ve built.
The Internet
In 2011, Wael Ghonim gave a TED talk lauding the power of social media. His Facebook group played a major role sparking the Arab Spring in his home of Egypt. In 2016, however, he gave a very different TED talk.
It turns out that while social media is incredible at amplifying alternative views, it is terrible for building consensus on complex issues. According to Wael, his people successfully ousted a corrupt regime, but they could not overcome their disagreements to build its replacement.
We are watching this phenomenon play out across society. Our collective trust in traditional institutions has reached all-time lows. U.S. political preferences have seen a surge in those identifying as independents. The same is true for the rise of religious “nones”. That is, the rising number of those who consider themselves spiritual but do not affiliate with a particular religion.
Very few of us seem willing to identify with (much less commit significant time and resources) to institutions or movements that fall short of our ideals.
The internet didn’t make us this way. It’s how our brains evolved.
All-or-Nothing Thinking
Hanging beside my desk is a copy of the Cognitive Bias Codex. This poster is a stark reminder of the many ways my brain attempts to prevent me from thinking too much.
I am grateful for these biases. In general, they make life easier. They don’t make it easier, however, to think in nuanced ways about complex issues.
Confirmation bias encourages me to only accept evidence in support of my existing views. The Anectdotal Fallacy leads me to form opinions based solely on good storytelling, and I default to discrediting ideas that come from perceived “antagonists”. Given such biases, the modern rise of political extremism comes as no surprise.
Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world’s ills and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all. — John Gardner
So what can be done? How do we combat polarization fueled by our own technology and psychology? The answer is nuanced.
Stand Boldly for Nuance
It is hard to motivate yourself to participate politically when you don’t assume the opposing view is evil incarnate. Moderate political views are typically the most nuanced, yet those holding such views are notoriously bad at getting to the polls and even worse at showing up to caucus meetings.
What if the opposite was true? What if those who actively sought to balance competing ideas were the most engaged? After all, such views hold a distinct advantage, truth…at least a closer approximation to it.
Choosing to embrace complexity is choosing to embrace reality. Complex views can be expressed just as fiery as any other perspective, but nuanced thinkers maintain enough humility to change their opinion in light of new evidence.
Nuanced thinkers diversify their news sources, have respectful conversations with people they disagree with, and stand for the facts regardless of what is popular with their “tribe”.
Is nothing black-and-white anymore?
Nuanced thinking does not require moral ambiguity. Everyone celebrates the deterioration of power structures that enable criminals like Harvey Weinstein, but is the loss of trust in our democratic institutions equally worth celebrating?
Standing boldly for nuance is about recognizing the difference. Nuanced thinkers apply the brakes when all-or-nothing thinking is not justified.
They also know that “what is moral?” can differ widely across cultures and belief systems. Nuanced thinking is less about forcing your beliefs on others and more about seeking common ground.
Conclusion
This problem is going to get worse. New technologies will enable ever more sophisticated deceptions and an unprecedented flood of fake news.
Holding nuanced views is an act of courage. It is not the spineless waffling back-and-forth of politicians. It is concerned with being correct, not politically correct. It is a willingness to see the bad and the good of our institutions.
You stand boldly for nuance by choosing to act in defiance of the cognitive biases, technology, and cultural norms that would otherwise deter you from doing so. You can choose to work within the extremes. Failure to do so only empowers them.
