Nuance

[jazzy_dave]

Over the years I have found the idea of nuance to be disappearing from conversations and from how simplified language has become. In fact, as we have become more digitalised our grasp on nuance has become weaker. We get polarised into two different diametrically opposed factions. Take politics for example as being a prima facie aspect of this polarisation. Of course, vocabulary is an important fact of this situation and I do feel that the less we read and discover new words or different nuances the less tolerable we become. Digital culture has made us become less nuanced and more radical or recalcitrant against opposing views.

Social media, overall, is definitely cursed by this lack of nuance, except for a few places such as LiveJournal. When it comes to the written word itself, then the majority are caught in their own tribal proclivities except for the more balanced views of the Guardian newspaper. I must admit I do not know which American newspaper has a similar nuanced viewpoint of the world. Some may argue that such papers are elitist, and once again, we are caught in this tribalism. I even occasionally fall into that same trap and dismiss red top papers such as The Sun, and then must check myself for not understanding why readers of that rag have differing viewpoints. Oh, and there I go again calling it a “rag” in such dismissive terms.

And yes, I do love nuance and the discovery of words and meaning.

So dear reader, what are your thoughts and viewpoints? Concurring or opposing, all will be read and not cancelled.

Comments

[sabotabby]

I agree to a point. I think some polarization and factionalism is necessary because what had been the mainstream right has become completely unmoored from reality. There's very little compromise or discussion that can happen with that—we need to conduct a full-scale societal autopsy. We can dismiss these viewpoints but still examine why people came to these viewpoints.

For example, the mainstream left has forgotten its class roots. At the centrist end, you have professional managerial neoliberalism, which greenwashes and pinkwashes and racewashes fundamentally antihuman policies, and farther left, certain tendencies that accept a somewhat radical framing but reduce it to atomization of identity. At the extreme end, these are the folks who freak out at me for using the word "crazy" but won't fundamentally organize to make work more humane to neurodivergent and mentally ill people.

I read the Sun too on occasion. I think you need to know your enemy.

Once can blame social media to a point, as structurally it thrives on engagement and conflict and prioritizes short, quippy takes over lengthy discussion, but these tendencies all existed before.

[jazzy_dave]

"For example, the mainstream left has forgotten its class roots"


That I wholeheartedly agree and the rest of your comments are cogent and understanding your enemy allows you to counter their assertions with critical analysis. Thanks.

[sabotabby]

Thanks for starting the discussion!

I should mention that I'm not anti idpol. I think idpol is incredibly important. I just think the whole point of intersectionality is that we have all these different interactions of oppression and privilege that create a commonality and we should be working together to solve them. Which is...a controversial opinion on the left.

[cmcmck]

A few places like DW.

I try to pull my posts out into real language as you know.

[thewayne]

Agreed.

When I first worked at the university where I'm now working in the library, some 16 years ago in the computer lab, I was working with a guy with a degree in philosophy and another guy, and the night security guard was formerly a preacher. And we had the most fantastic discussions because we were all capable of holding two opposing thoughts in our heads and discussing both sides without it getting heated. And you just can't do that anymore, which is so sad.

[jazzy_dave]

Exactly. It seems we have lost that ability to juggle two opposing views and not get heated.

[a_phoenixdragon]

I rather concur with most of this...but I feel language has also stagnated and has rather led to the point where ignorance is celebrated and knowledge is abhorred - which boils down to our ability to communicate being scattered and non-nuanced on so many levels. We have lost the ability to speak to each other, even as we have scads of information at our fingertips - we are more social, but less able to talk to one another.