Member-only story
Truth is Not a Binary Choice Between Good and Bad
A third way beyond consent or complain
When it comes to politics, we are not consumers. When it comes to history or science or relationships, we are not consumers either. We are participants, practitioners and contributors.
And yet, we continue to be trained to express our reactions in terms of binary opinion — yes or no, like or dislike, celebrate or cancel — in such a way that every interaction becomes a tiny referendum on whether we give our consent or say no.
It happens to me all the time: I read an online post and before I’ve even reached the end, my eye has been drawn to the number of likes and comments that sit like judge-and-jury on the matter at hand.
If people have responded, I increasingly see these reactions in shades of approval or denunciation. My eyes scan for rage. In recent years, my appetite has evolved to enjoy the argument.
Such quick-glance metrics have become so commonplace in modern communication that we run the risk of allowing them to dominate what should be more complex terrain. We use these metrics to help us navigate through the endless demands of consumer choice, looking for the 5-star badge of honour that will help us choose a holiday or hire a yoga instructor, book a restaurant or watch a TV series.
