Is Nuance Dead? Understanding Gray Areas in Today’s World
One time, I was scrolling through my feed and saw a thumbnail that said:
‘Nuance is the new N-word.’
When I saw that thumbnail, I thought:
‘That’s a stretch!’
Then I realized there was truth to this thumbnail.
If you see 2 people having a heated debate about 2 ends of the spectrum, and you volunteer yourself into the debate with nuance about the issue….
Then the other 2 are going to view you as a coward.
I once saw an agnostic being bullied by an atheist.
The agnostic, who does not know if God exists, was confronted by the atheist.
The atheist said:
‘Go on, just say that God doesn’t exist! Quit playing both sides.’
The agnostic was being shamed into a different worldview.
Is nuance the new N-word?
It’s treading in that direction.
But is nuance dead?
I don’t believe so.
The Rise of Personalization Technology
When I was first choosing my ideal college in 2008, I went on Google and typed:
‘Best colleges in Florida.’
In 2008, we were just getting out of the dial-up era.
Search engines were not too advanced.
Fast forward to 2018.
I was now looking for my ideal masters program.
I hopped on Google & typed:
‘Best information systems masters programs in Florida.’
The second query was more specific.
If I typed the second query in 2008, I don’t think I would have gotten many relevant results.
Mainly because search engines were not populated with much targeted content back then.
But more importantly, I don’t think I would have even THOUGHT to type a specific query like that in 2008.
It was not a part of my reality.
Nowadays, due to advancements in information technology, we are capable of getting more targeted.
We can find content that suits our deepest desires.
Technology’s Effect on Ideas
Technology opens our perspective on what can be discussed.
I don’t believe nuance is dead.
As a matter of fact, I believe nuance is about to see a renaissance.
People from all walks of life are going to discuss similar topics from multiple angles.
If 2010 was the content age, 2020 forward will be the perspective age.
However, humans have the habit of taking old-school thinking into a new world.
This is especially true for media.
When TVs were first becoming a thing, radio hosts realized they needed to create content for the new medium.
Can you guess how radio hosts created their first TV programs?
They literally just videotaped their radio show.
Wow, so creative!
They didn’t understand how much potential the TV had.
Over time, rather than simply videotaping a radio show…
The TV medium evolved into cartoons, drama, comedy specials, movies, and much more.
Likewise, with the internet, we are making the same mistake.
We are taking traditional media thinking to new media.
On traditional media (radio/tv/newspapers) general content is king.
That’s because the producers are trying to attract a mass audience.
On the internet, nuanced content is king.
However, we are unable to tell that nuanced content is king.
We are unable to spot the power of nuanced content because we are still on the cusp of the advancement in personalization technology.
In 2008, I wrote:
‘Best colleges in Florida.’
In 2018, I wrote:
‘Best information systems masters programs in Florida.’
In 2048, my kid will write:
‘Best information systems degree in Florida, under $30,000 full tuition cost, with internship partnerships programs.’
Those who can see the value of nuance will win.
Finding Your Lane
The nuance game is slow.
It’s not pleasant to create a hyper-targeted video and stack up 100 views, while others are creating black & white content and stacking up 100,000 views.
It’s important to ask:
‘What do I want?’
The beauty of the internet is that there is a lane for everybody.
If you want mainstream success, then you can take the general content model from traditional media and apply it to new media.
But if you are someone who has hyper-targeted interests & doesn’t care about mainstream success, then understand there is a lane for you.
Nuance may seem like a forbidden lane in today’s black & white world, but only time will tell.
My prediction is that time will favor the nuanced folks.
Every now and then, I’m given flashes of evidence regarding this prediction.
A while back, I created a video on how to overcome shortness of breath while speaking.
A highly targeted video.
In the first week, this video racked up a staggering 80 views.
I thought that was the end of it.
But no…
After a few months, the video picked up some traction.
After a few years, it picked up even more traction.
Nowadays, that video is at 22,000 views.
3 years after I made it.
Time allowed this video to appreciate.
What’s the limit of views for this video?
No one knows!
It may go up to 25,000 views.
It may go up to a million views.
Where a black & white content creator will get a million views on a video in a day, I have the potential to get a million views on a video in a span of 10 years.
Ultimately, we both end up with a million.
But how we did it was different.
Renaissance of Nuance
I am amazed by how fast the internet evolves.
1 year is considered 10 years in the internet world.
With evolution, comes change.
And change often leads to different strategies.
I believe nuance is an underrated way to build a brand.
There are a lot of haters of nuance.
They say it is the coward’s strategy.
But I couldn’t disagree more.
I view nuance as the conquerer’s strategy.
With the evolution of personalization technology, those who have nuanced material under a particular theme can gradually build an empire.
When focusing on nuance, you are forced to revisit the fundamentals.
Your brand becomes stress-tested.
Day by day, you’re training your soldiers.
One day, when you look back, you see a gargantuan army staring back at you.
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