As you grow older, you gain insight into the personalities and behaviors of others. As we grow older, we lose some of the naiveté with which we once saw humanity and gain a more critical eye for human behavior in general, including our own. And we discover that individuals have varying perspectives on life and other individuals.
I think one of the trickiest things is figuring out and anticipating other people’s actions. Because of the predictability of scientific phenomena compared to the fairly unpredictable nature of human conduct, I have found that science is much easier to comprehend. The scientific method is unbiased, reliable, and verifiable by anyone who has a basic understanding of the subject. There are countless influences on people’s actions, and they can evolve over time in surprising ways.
Although there is no hard evidence to support my claim, I think that poor leadership and management are the root of our country’s problems, not a lack of knowledge or education.
It is common practice for visitors to get pamphlets upon arrival at their destination that provide an overview of the local culture. Staring at someone is considered rude in several European countries. In others, you could be warned that locals there are unafraid to say what they think without filter.
Visitors to this country should be warned that the natives here tend to avoid having candid discussions. They need to be cautioned that being direct and honest can be interpreted negatively by others.
Perhaps our reticence and candor stem from our excessive politeness, and we are diplomats by nature. I can’t say for sure.
Sometimes I worry that individuals are left vulnerable to feelings of anger, irritation, disappointment, and erroneous and misleading assumptions about the truth because we don’t have enough open and honest dialogues about the truth.
The ability to speak openly and honestly with team members and subordinates is essential for successful people management. If we fail to tell our teams the truth and have an open dialogue about the situation at hand, we will do more harm than good in steering them in the right direction.
Managers, CEOs, and large corporations, from what I’ve seen, frequently try to get away with covering up the facts. They look for ways to get out of answering their followers’ demands for transparency. And in many cases, they might be able to achieve their goal, at least temporarily. Yet, the truth eventually catches up with everyone. As a result, many individuals fail to acquire the necessary knowledge. It seems they are still under the impression that they can dismiss people’s need to know the truth.
The truth, it is said, sets one free. Nonetheless, it is a difficult effort to reveal the truth that we have fought so hard to conceal. But once it’s out there, you may breathe a sigh of relief.
What hurts the most, in my opinion, is not the reality itself, but rather the fact that we were kept in the dark about it. I think people are more open to hearing the “bad” truth these days. When a painful “truth” is concealed for a long time and then brought to light, the blow is all the more devastating.
The truth, and nothing but the truth, liberates us!
