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

[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.