Nuance and Generosity

Non-Binary and Open-Minded

In The Coddling of the American Mind, Jonathan Haidt gives a recipe for how you can "be happier, healthier, stronger, and more likely to succeed in pursuing your own goals". Two of the ingredients he lists in this recipe are "taking a generous view of other people, and looking for nuance (rather than assuming the worst about people within a simplistic us-versus-them morality)." I love his whole recipe, but these two ingredients stood out to me as worthy of a deep dive.

Looking for Nuance

Nelson Mandela said, "Nothing is black or white." Years later, Dave Matthews expanded on that quote, "Nothing is black or white, nothing's 'us or them.' But then there are magical, beautiful things in the world. There's incredible acts of kindness and bravery, and in the most unlikely places, and it gives you hope." (bolding mine) Both Mandela and Matthews are encouraging us to move beyond binary thinking.

Looking for nuance involves actively battling the algorithms that shape your social media feeds. The Social Dilemma¹ is a fantastic documentary that goes deep into many of the societal challenges that accompany social media. I think this film should be required viewing for every person on the planet. Unless we counter the silos and echo chambers that are constructed and reinforced by current social media platforms, we will lose any concept of nuance.