Nuance as a Virtue

A book I’m reading makes the point that too often we arrive at conclusions based on “just a few facts with no room for nuance.” We pay a deep price spiritually, emotionally, and spiritually for those conclusions. We worry, feel anxious, and often argue from ignorance with those we love.

Understanding and communicating what’s true also takes a hit.

Truth is a virtue, and what’s true is always complicated, so nuance is a virtue.

Think of a time when someone has mischaracterized you or misunderstood what you were saying (or, at least, trying to say). You cry out, “Wait, that’s not all I said,” or “I didn’t mean what you’re saying,” or you think, ‘That description might be true of me some of the time, but that’s not all I am or the way I am all the time.’

When it’s personal like that, all of sudden we see the value of nuance and the reality of complexity.

Truth is always a little or lot more complicated than a few facts. To come to conclusions with just a few facts and no room for nuance lacks virtue.

So next time someone offers a un-nuanced portrayal of someone or something you already disagree with or a simplistic take on an entrenched problem, citing a few facts and making sweeping generalizations, you have an opportunity to grow in virtue. Take it.

Photo by John Moeses Bauan on Unsplash