I’d just turned on my television and the morning news host says something about a reporter “will be on right after the commercial break with the truth about” the scandal of so-and-so at ‘big corporation’. My first thoughts were, How can they speak truth for so-and-so? Did they even speak to the man? And then I observed a misinformed truth at work several days ago. An important question was brought up and two co-workers answered the questions for me. Fact: the two individuals were not in the office, nor did they have knowledge of what happened and yet their answers were accepted as my truth. Sad to say, it’s a common practice in most aspects of life. Just listen to a rumor.
“Imagine how much productivity would be accomplished if everyone felt appreciated and valued instead of spending time reconstructing their self-confidence.” –Cindy Kochis
We all say things about others. It’s what conversation usually is centered around and in most cases we believe what we are saying is accurate. A percentage of the people will focus on the hurtful and demeaning attributes of an individual while others only mention information that is positive and of their good qualities. We are building characters each time we speak of another person; as a matter of fact – ourSelf.
How often is a judgment of an actress or rock star based on what the press/media reports on the individual you have never met? Or the person who’s mug shot has been plastered all over the six o’clock news claiming to be a bad person. Consider this scene: a 50 year old woman hits the gas instead of the brake and accidently kills a child. What are some of the reactions you are going to hear on the streets and in the coffee houses? “They should throw the book at her.” “Woman drivers!” It’s not necessary for me to continue with the comments; they are already forming in your mind. You’ve judged the person without knowing their truth. You are speaking your opinion about her situation without knowing all the accurate information. You’ve just jumped on the rumor mill merry-go-round without taking time to find out that the woman is the mother of three kids, cares for her elder parents, and works full-time at a children’s trauma hospital. Was compassion for her situation even considered?
This is strictly an observation and message to bring awareness. What characters are you building when you speak your truth about someone else? Are you accurately reporting what you witnessed? Is your interpretation similar to the other involved?
It is what it is….
"There is a common perception that compassion is, if not actually an impediment, at least irrelevant to professional life. Personally, I would argue that not only is it relevant, but that when compassion is lacking, our activities are in danger of becoming destructive. This is because when we ignore the question of the impact our actions have on others' well-being, inevitably we end up hurting them." - Dalai Lama
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