Two things can be true at once. These same two things can be conflicting and in opposition. This is where understanding nuance comes in. A world which does not allow for nuance is not a world that accounts for experience or growth.
Communication without Nuance eliminates agency and the idea of conflict resolution.
In this Note, Adeshola and Cameron proffer their thoughts to underscore the need for an understanding that people and their lives are often neither black nor white but can instead hold sets of contrasting, sometimes conflicting, views.
Communication without nuance creates echo chambers, and it’s in these isolated spaces that people become vulnerable to radicalisation. Every day, the news seems to indicate that we are teetering on the edge of social collapse, with deeper and deeper rifts being opened up and exploited. This is probably something worth taking a look at if you, like us, don’t find the prospect of social collapse all that appealing!
If we are all shouting AT each other, who is actually listening?
Some people have a material reason to be against you as they benefit from being on the other side of the argument – ignoring that, or not factoring it into your communication with them will only ever lead to frustration.
It is possible to listen to someone’s experience or opinion without agreeing with it. You can even understand and validate their experience or opinion without needing to react in any other way. Being able to do this is not something that comes easily to most people, and helping people navigate these tensions is a core part of our work.
When you assume…
BD Giving Notes is a weekly blog aimed at sharing some thoughts on running a social infrastructure charity. Each post focuses on a couple of things we have learnt or done in the previous week; what’s gone well and what didn’t.
