Thursday, December 23, 2010

blog holiday til 12/27

Happy Holidays!

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

How would Jesus lead?

Jesus is a great teacher, and could influence people the way many politicians would like to.  How did he do it?  It certainly wasn't by being mean or uncaring.  Laurie Beth Jones wrote  a book for business leaders called Jesus CEO that lists and discusses Jesus' way of leading.  I think during the Christmas season and in this political atmosphere of defunct leadership, Jesus' way may provide some refreshing guidance.

Jesus did the difficult things  "Opinion polls are a very poor source of vision. Failing to do the difficult thing eventually will get you in trouble."
Jesus owned it "He looked at the world and the people in it as his responsibility, his inheritance and his heritage."
Jesus did not waste time judging others
He requested noble things "He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up hearts that are broken, to proclaim liberty to captives...to comfort all those who morn, and to give them for ashes a garland...for a mourning robe the oil of gladness, for despondency, praise."
Jesus worked through his fears "He boldly announced his identity to the executioners.  He got sick to his stomach and wept until sweat became blood- but he went through it.  Although he felt fear, he faced it."
He had a plan "A good idea is worth a dollar, a good plan is worth a million dollars...What good does it do to stir up a crowd if you do not give them a constructive outlet for their energy?"
He asked the question "Who do you think I am? Who do you think you are? What do you want?  Where is your heart?...Perhaps he asked so many questions because his motto was, 'You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free."
Jesus broke ranks "Jesus did not follow the crowd, he led it...There are so many dysfunctional groups in our society today that a person must have uncommon courage to break free."
He was bold "Jesus did not mumble or whisper his message.  He did not go through countless committees to get permission to make his statement."
He gave them vision of something larger than themselves "Where there is no vision, the people perish."
He educated  Educating minds and hearts was Jesus' number one priority.
He looked out for the little guy "Jesus took time to see the people in the shadows."
Jesus set an example "Leaders set the example by what they do."
He served them "The principle of service is what separates true leaders from glory seekers."
He loved them "When everything is said and done, only love will last."
He wanted to take everyone to the top "We need each other."

Leaders are so important.  They change the world, for better or worse.  Ultimately, it is the people who decide who to follow, and what standards the culture will be shaped by.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

What's your bias?

The title of this blog should be read like the prase, "what's your problem?"

The World English Dictionary defines bias as a  "mental tendency or inclination, esp an irrational preference or prejudice." 

I argue that I am not biased toward the dems, nor against the repubs.  I really don't think I have an irrational prejudice one way or the other. 

irrational:  without the faculty of reason; deprived of reason

One can be fair and still consistently have negative things to say about an entity, like say, the Republican leadership and their step-alongs.  Being un-biased does not mean saying bad things or good things equally about opposing entities.  Being unbiased simply means being able to reason through a situation without applying an irrational force toward or against some element of that situation. 

Reason is what I have been screaming for, reason is what our society seems to be missing. 

I would like to qualify my recent posts that explicitly target Republicans.  I should say that I do not think that all those registered as Republicans are representative of the ills I ascribe to the Republican Party.  However, the Republicans in our Congress are extremely unified in their irrational behavior, and those who follow them are accountable. 

Ultimately, the problems of our society do not lie in our leaders, but in the reasoning abilities of our citizens. 

Making Republicans look bad

Lindsay Graham, R. Senator from South Carolina was on Face the Nation this weekend, along with his colleague, D. Senator Carl Levin from Michigan.  The topic was the New START treaty.  The Republicans refusal to pass this legislation has inflamed national security advocates from all parties.

Graham asserts that the confusing language in the preamble of the treaty will lead to an eventual pull out from Russia when the US commences work again on its missile defense system.  The eventual breakdown of the treaty, Graham says, is more dangerous than no treaty at all.  

Everyone else seems to disagree with the Senator and his Republican step-alongs in congress.

Levin countered Graham's point, "It'll damage national security (not passing New START), [and] not just because I say so," Levin said. "I may be chairman of the Armed Services Committee but my view is not nearly as important as every single former Secretary of State, every single National Security Advisor, Republican and Democratic, our current military leadership say it is essential to national security that we pass the START treaty."

Graham, however, made the astonishing assertion that HE NEEDS TO BE THE ONE TO SAY SO, HIM SPECIALLY.  It is not enough for the military leadership to tell him that his concerns are unfounded, but that he wanted the Russians to assure Graham himself...personally.  He want the Russians to make a special assertion just to Senator Graham, or he won't believe that the treaty allows us the ability to continue with our plans.

Wow.  Childsplay with our national security between Russia.

Then, Graham goes on to say that the 'excruciating' lame duck session was 'designed' to make Republicans look bad.  They do not need any extra help in that, though Democrats could have been making them look much worse for the past 12 years.  Democrats are too nice, but maybe it WILL pay off in the end, as the chips fall where they may.

Monday, December 20, 2010

The Cure

Since I gave some cause for paranoia, I thought I better share a cure.  At the end of Zimbardo's chapter he gives us a recipe for 'promoting civic virtue, moral engagement and human goodness.  That sounds good.


'1.  Openly acknowledge errors in judgment
              reduces need to justify mistake and continue with immoral action
2.  Encourage mindfulness
              encourage society to reflect on actions and ethical implications
3.  Promote sense of personal responsibility and accountability for all actions
              reduces diffused sense of responsibility
4.  Discourage minor transgressions
              cheating, gossiping, lying, teasing, and bullying provide first steps toward escalating abuses
5.  Distinguish between just and unjust authority
              just because someone is in a position of authority does not mean they deserve obedience
6.  Support critical thinking
              demand evidence and moral justification, and evaluate its credibility
7.  Reward moral behavior
              those who do the right thing under difficult situations need recognition
8.  Respect human diversity
              key to reducing in-group biases and prejudices
9.  Change social conditions that promote anonymity
              making people feel special and accountable = socially desirable actions + self-worth
10.  Challenge pressures for conformity
              individuals need strategies to resist group influence and maintain moral compass
11.  REFUSE TO SACRIFICE CRUCIAL FREEDOMS FOR ELUSIVE PROMISES OF SECURITY
              these steps are often the first toward fascism'

When evaluating our next congress, lets take these 11 steps in mind.  Let's critically think about which of our leaders is doing what, demanding evidence, moral justification and then let's evaluate the credibility of that evidence.  Let's reward moral behavior, mindfulness, the ability to admit mistakes and take responsibility for one's actions.  Let's reward those who respect human diversity.  Conversely, let's hold those accountable who cheat, gossip, lie and bully to the detriment of our fellow citizens and our leaders, let's distinguish between just and unjust authority.  Also, let's keep in mind that we don't have to sacrifice our freedoms for security. 

Two more highlights from this chapter:

"Focusing on people as causes of evil then exonerates social structures and political decision making for contributing to underlying conditions that foster evil:
poverty, racism, sexism and elitism."

"It is only through the recognition of our shared human condition that we can acknowledge vulnerability to situational forces."