Brian Lera on WNYC.

We'll close today with one of our occasional recurring segments, a call in of ambivalence.

Call or text to say anything you're ambivalent about, especially in the news.

212-433 WNYC, 212, 433-9-6-92. Why a call-in of ambivalence? Well, the media has become such a cult

of certainty, especially in the social media era, heroes and villains on one side or another of

whatever issue, that there aren't many places for ambivalence to be

publicly expressed. And clearly there is good and bad in this world. There are things that are

true and things that are lies. We talk through that lens here so much of the time, and we must.

But ambivalence in its place can also be a good thing.

Issues in the news are often issues at all because they're close calls for a lot of people,

right? Or because real people, not just corporations or governments or the powerful over the power

less, have different interests that it's okay to respect and feel torn about. So it's okay to feel

ambivalence. It's okay to struggle with things because struggle can lead you to a deeper

understanding of the truth about something where you wind up with a strong conviction. I also think

ambivalence indicates humility, which I think is in short supply these days.

So many people are just so sure they're right.

And one more time, don't get me wrong, having convictions is good and needed.

Outrage is necessary in the face of injustice.

But outrage has a lot of outlets these days, including here.

Ambivalence does not.

So from time to time, we do a call-in of ambivalence.

And with that as prelude, our lines are open for your calls and texts.

...