I made someone look really stupid the other
day.
I witnessed
a bad situation, and I had a strong sense of what the problem really was. The
world is getting worse every day, and it’s people like this guy who’s
responsible.
So I let
loose with my opinion.
I felt
such power while I was doing it, too. Why would anyone ever dare mess with me?
They have to leave ashamed and embarrassed, and now painfully aware cf how
inadequate they are.
I really showed him.
For a
while, I felt pretty good about it, too. Remember the old ‘Batman’ show, when
words flashed in the air as the Caped Crusader smashed the villains? My words
were so heavy you could practically see them.
Boom!
Pow! Crash!
Hey, Fox News and WLW.
When do I get my own show?
But then,
a little while later, I came across some information. I’d like to say I never
knew this information beforehand, but the truth is I did. But, in the heat of
the moment, I chose not to consider it, because we can’t always be so
accountable when we’re upset, right?
Hey, the
world’s getting worse every day! Politicians are crooked, supposed heroes are shattering
their public images, and families are crumbling. The solution is to write and
say whenever we need to in order to put these crazy people in their place.
Right?
Hmmmm…
I later learned
from a reliable source that the guy I blasted takes his responsibility pretty
seriously. He’d investigated the options better than I thought he did. He’s
taken a lot of training – far beyond anything I’d ever undertaken – for the
express purpose of making hard decisions.
He knew
going into the process that his decisions can never make everyone happy. We
live in a world of such diversity, where different factions can disagree wildly
over the simplest of things. Leadership cannot almost bow to who is the most
vocal, because those people don’t always speak for the masses.
Gulp. Like my little
tirade, they speak for their individual beliefs.
Knowing that, he at
least had the guts to make the decision HE thought was best. Which is as it
should be
Suddenly,
I didn’t enjoy as much righteous indignation as I had before.
His way
may not have been MY way, but what guarantee could I give that I could do his
job with any more skill and efficiency than he did?
This
holds true in so many areas of life. An administrator imposes a rule that I
don’t agree with. A judge makes a ruling that goes against my case. Coaches
decide to use one player over another, and individuals make poor choices that
ruin their lives.
Who died
and made me boss of the universe? Last time I checked, I had issues of my own
to deal with.
I paused
and reflected on my actions. I came to a sobering realization. Instead of being
part of the solution, I was part of the problem.
That’s
not good. So here’s what I will do in the future. I’ll still have opinions, but
I’ll be more careful in how I form it. Then, when it comes time to approach
someone who’s in a position of influence, I’ll be more responsible in the way I
express it.
Blasting
people doesn’t change anything. Neither does anonymous back-biting. In the
future, I’ll make an appointment to meet with the one I disagree with. I’ll
make sure I understand how and why they arrived at their decision. Then I’ll
invite them to consider a different line of thought, one that’s good for
everybody.
I need
to do this, for a number of reasons, but one more than all the others.
I made
someone look really stupid the other day.
Me.