Nuances, the subtle differences in meaning or expression, are important. The slightest distinction between two views -- for example, the difference between "drinking alcohol is bad" and "drinking alcohol is bad in excess" -- can totally change their meanings to the point where two people with those different views may end up largely opposed to the other. This is all well and good because nuanced debate is often healthy. The problem occurs when people lack nuanced views and end up seeing the world totally in extremes and absolutes, and it is not an uncommon problem.

As with most common problems, this one is reflected in politics, which tend to be all or nothing. Candidates are usually either for or against an idea, with no middle ground. We either need to regulate every business into a borderline extension of the government, or we need to never regulate anything and let corporations have the free reign to enact whatever abusive policies they'd like without consequence.

This is, in part, due to the polarizing effect of having parties that need to be conformed to and pandered to rather than candidates who stand for their own values, but it is also human nature to an extent. People jump to extremes because they feel safe. If you draw dividing lines up between yourself and an enemy and see everything in black and white, then it's easy to organize the world you live in and we're drawn to that. The thing is, we don't live in a world where things are that simple. We live in a world that constantly demands nuanced views and critical evaluations.

Next time you want to make an argument that all things are one way or that something extreme needs to be done in response to a problem, stop and ask yourself, "Are all things this way? Does the task at hand require an extreme solution?" Everybody has biases and everybody is susceptible to them. So questioning oneself is vital to keeping with an appropriately nuanced perspective. Try replacing the words "all" or "none" with "many" or "few" and see if that fits the bill better. See if there is a way to accomplish a goal without going to the very edge of an ideology. In the end, it will make you more equipped to deal with conflict in a healthy manner and it will likely make your beliefs more accurate as well.