Binary Choice, and other intellectual traps that the world sets for us.
Have you noticed how hard the world tries to make us think in binary choices? I marvel at how, what should be deeply nuanced conversations are distilled into straight choices between, for example, Democrat or Republican, Conservative or Labour, when in fact, on deeper analysis, there is little fundamental difference upon which to differentiate between them. While the personalities involved are projected as stark choices, beyond the labels there is much more in common between them than one would initially think.
Indeed, the think-tank, focus-group mumbo-jumbo that passes for contemporary global political discourse marks a low-point in our democratic progression, not least because much of it is manipulated by third parties to cynically influence social media trends.
And it is not just politics. How often do we fall into the (intellectual) trap of declaring undying love for one product, and denigrating its obvious (constructed) rival? I am a Land-Rover person, so I must at all times mock Toyota drivers (substitute your motoring brand preference), I drink tea, not coffee, beer, not wine (ugh), Coke, hate Sprite, Marmite, never Bovril.
In expressing our preference in binary opposites we exclude the very rational possibility that, while I might have a preference, that preference may be (and probably is) a preference between two equally valid options. And indeed, it is perfectly rational to like both. And indeed again, liking something is a separate experience to disliking something else, and need not happen as conjoined opposites.
And while political party and consumer good choices are fairly innocuous examples where there is actually a distinct choice to be made at the end of the thought process, what for me is most important is that, as educators, we develop in our learners a strong sense of nuance in everyday thinking - that between the simple polar opposites there exists a whole spectrum of rational and reasonable possibility that we eclipse when we jump to simple caricature. There are very few simple choices.
Relationships are not of necessity brilliant or terrible, and while identity politics is a whole discussion in itself, one has to be completely oblivious to reality to deny that (for example) masculinity can present in infinitely different ways while still being considered masculine (whatever that is). Similarly, race, nationality, individual strengths and abilities are all located individually on an infinite spectrum of equally valid possibility.
One of the most important thinking skills that we can impart in our students is the notion of nuance and spectrum, and that opposing positions may be at the same time rational, correct, and good. If we are being forced into a binary choice, follow the money, it is usually because someone will benefit from it.