Why I choose to be grey
When a group is wrapped up in itself, and everyone only agrees with each other, no one bothers to stop and think about other perspectives.
Shafiqah Othman Hamzah, The Malay Mail Online
In recent months, I have been strongly criticised for my decision to be in the grey area regarding certain things.
Before I start, I think it is important for me first to explain what I mean by “being in the grey area.” For many people, it means being a fence-sitter or uncertain. In the context of this column, it means already having your own convictions while still allowing room for compromise and discourse.
To those who have unyielding opinions, “being in the grey area” sounds a lot like giving the opposition an outlet to share their “dangerous” or “wrong” ideas. To them, this is unacceptable. However, I believe that it is the better way to achieve social change and progress.
Have you ever wondered why some people are so stubborn and refuse to change their minds even after they have been presented with the necessary evidence?
When our brains are experiencing a dissonance, we will seek out information that justifies our convictions. This subconscious tendency of confirmation bias will only strengthen our beliefs. This phenomenon is called the “backfire effect.”
In a world where information is readily given, the Internet helps in making sure that our beliefs may never be challenged. There will always be evidence supporting our ideas.
This is the reason why we may never win online arguments. As you get involved in a heated debate, you are pushing yourself and your opponent further into the backfire effect as the both of you pull out links, quotes, journals, and information to support each of your viewpoints.
In social psychology, the backfire effect can be considered a form of inoculation — a theory devised in the 1960s by William McGuire — which is a process in which one builds up resistance to influence, persuasion, or threats which may cause attitudinal change.
In other words, we have inoculated ourselves against differing opinions.
As social media progresses, expressions of these cognitive biases continues to elevate. Beliefs grow stronger when we talk about it with people who share them, and social media has made it easier for like-minded people to find each other. This creates a harsher polarisation of groups which ultimately results in a stronger “us vs. them” dynamic.
Do you realise that movements are growing more aggressive? For example, liberalism rises as conservatism rises and vice versa. It should be of no surprise. It is only the natural cause and effect of ideologies becoming more radical due to individual cognitive biases and social influences that have been enhanced and magnified by the use of social media.
When you understand how it happens, it seems as though the future is bleak. How do we achieve social change and progress if everyone is so unwilling to change their minds?
This is where being in the grey area is helpful.
