Lost in Nuance
The overwhelming message we hear today is that our society has become too polarized, and too few dare to cross the aisle. In response, many of us try to counter this problem of division by becoming more open-minded and acting as the sort of people who would never dig their heels in at the sign of conflict. Many of us attempt to instill a sense of humility by actively questioning our positions, hearing new opinions and encouraging others to do the same.
Yet, in trying to reject black-and-white thinking, we risk letting the pendulum swing to the opposite extreme: becoming so heavy-handed with nuance that we lose the ability to remain strong in our beliefs.
Whether it be in discussing the Israel-Gaza war or confronting hashkafic differences, people want to feel they are being understanding and welcoming toward all opinions and not blinded by bias. This welcomes the danger of adopting an extremist no-judgment approach that allows for all messaging, no matter how destructive or extreme, under the guise of nuance and understanding. For example, in a discussion I took part in about whether individuals with radical or even terrorist sympathies should be accepted in our community, a striking minority at the table held clear positions on the matter. Many well-meaning participants, eager to champion the value of nuance in the context of the Israel-Gaza war, stated that, although they personally disagreed with the viewpoints, they would feel obligated to invite and entertain extremist views. In their effort to destroy polarized thinking, these individuals sacrificed their ability to draw boundaries and pronounce any opinion, even one rooted in violence, as simply wrong.
It can be a thrill to know you are more emotionally aware, sophisticated and a greater critical thinker than the person next to you. Perhaps “adding nuance” just produces an easy excuse to feed one’s ego. We live in a culture where you may be venerated for perfunctory responses such as, “I think there’s a lot of complexity there,” or “I hear both sides.” Such statements achieve the facade of adding conversational depth but lack true substance. The complacency of these tactics has led “nuance” to become a socially acceptable way to avoid voicing a real opinion while simultaneously elevating one’s moral appearance.
Fear may also trigger the feeling that we need to be as open-minded and neutral as possible. Important conversations often bring heated feelings, and we may fear being canceled or worry that we may simply be wrong. “Adding nuance” is the easy solution to these fears. It may be more comfortable to keep strong opinions to yourself, but it will inhibit real conversation from taking place. If we can’t be honest with each other or firmly reject the views that deeply bother us, then what does open conversation actually achieve? Today’s intellectual elite tell us to listen to and understand other voices in charged conversations. Though this is objectively “good” and well-intentioned, any piece of advice taken to the extreme leads to misuse.
So have we stunted our intellectual honesty because we want to feel good about ourselves, comforted by the knowledge that we are emotionally mature, sophisticated thinkers? Or perhaps because we are too scared to be wrong or judged after picking a definitive side? Or, maybe, it is simply because nuance is what we have been told to develop by the leading voices of an increasingly polarized society.
We still need the reminder that intellectual honesty and open-mindedness matter and that curiosity and freedom of speech are essential values worth protecting. Nuance is crucial to real conversation, but when the oversaturation of nuance becomes a crutch or enabler for avoiding authenticity, we have done something wrong. This calls for the counter-message that you can and should hold strong in your own beliefs. To have truly complex conversations, people must be able to voice their true and strong opinions, balanced by a sense of humility to hear others. You can have convictions and still be open-minded. You can be true to yourself and still be nuanced.
Photo caption: A sculpture in Tartu, Estonia
Photo credit: Alexander Van Steenberge
