“A man has a right to think lots of things he has no right to say.”
– Unattributed
I am often torn between believing this statement is true and thinking it’s part of the problem.
“Political correctness” has become a parody statement. There is so little “correct” in our current politics and so little transparency, honesty, and candor that it’s hard to see the connection anymore.
It’s also difficult to distinguish between saying what we believe to be true—and saying it appropriately—and “keeping our thoughts to ourselves.”
Ideas are the currency of difference-makers.
If our ideas run against a norm, a position, or a belief of another group, it has to be okay to say them out loud. The trade-off is that we have to find a way to say them accurately, fairly, and appropriately.
I believe work-from-home is part of the problem. I believe that it’s ok to say “let’s don’t do stupid stuff” without saying anyone is actually stupid. I believe that solving a problem is the source of most of the value in our economy, and making a difference is the only thing that makes a difference.
If we make a difference for one person or a small group of people, we make a difference. Period.
Let’s commit to finding a way to say out loud – appropriately – what we believe and to make a difference – out loud – for those who are counting on us to do so.
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