The Case Against Oversimplification

The task to represent one's perception of the real world as succintly as possible is never easy. It is a balancing act that must explore grey areas and sort them into a distinct pattern of different pieces connected to each other. In its basic form it is about common sense, in its more elevated form it is about wisdom. All in all, it ought to be everybody's quest.

Alternatively, propaganda is a synthesis of selective information that is meant to capture emotions of the target audience and modify its perception. Propaganda machines master the art of disseminating appealing slogans to twist reality. Their approach is always binary and doctrinaire. Either/or and us/them.

That's why I tend to share the view of Tarun Tejpal, writer and editor of Tehelka:
"The real challenge is to present complex things as complex things, and to urge everyone to read them well and to come to terms with them".

My point is that we must not be put off by texts which seem too congested. We should give them a second and deeper look. Once the gist sinks in, we may or may not agree. Otherwise, we contribute to dumb ourselves down.