Life is complex and nuanced — grey rather than black and white.
In fact, I ponder a lot here about that very fact because I believe that one of our biggest downfalls as a media culture is our inability to see, or at least acknowledge nuance. I believe it’s a lowest common denominator problem. That’s a discussion for another time.
But sometimes, it’s really not that complex. Sometimes, Occam’s Razor (in my house, we call it the “smell test”) leads you right to where you should go, or at least where you want to start.
If the lawn mower doesn’t start, check if it has gas before disassembling the engine.
If the light doesn’t turn on, check to see that it’s plugged in before you call the electrician.
If the dishwasher didn’t run, check that you closed the door securely before buying a new one.
The easy, simple, or obvious answer isn’t always the right one, but it is always a good place to start. You may have to go further, or you may not.
The same concept applies to banned books, censorship, evil, war, politics, economics, gender, religion, pandemic response, science, and human relations.
