You know them. They come always. Someone makes a claim and before the words have settled they arrive to say it's more nuanced than that. That you're oversimplifying. That the reality is textured and multifaceted and you've failed to consider seven factors and here's an obscure counterexample and there's a whole body of research and really we should be asking different questions entirely.

They're not wrong. That's the thing. It is always more complicated. Reality doesn't yield to simple formulations. But they're not trying to understand complexity. They're wielding it like a weapon. Making every position so burdened with caveats that nothing can be said and nothing can be done.

Being the one who points out complexity. That's the role now. It feels good. Makes you feel serious. Sophisticated. Not one of those people trafficking in simple narratives. You understand that life is textured. You're not falling for easy answers.

But what you've done is killed the conversation. Made it impossible to speak. Why make a claim when someone will appear instantly to explain why it's insufficient. Why take a position when you'll be accused of lacking nuance. The only winning move is not to play.

So we sit. Nodding. Acknowledging complexity. Feeling intelligent. While nothing happens.