Truth, Grace, and Consequences
In the NBC Sitcom The Good Place, starring Kristen Bell and Ted Danson, no one living in the modern world can earn their way into the “good place” (heaven). Modern life is so complex that we are unaware of the untended consequences of our actions.
In the show, no one gets a free pass; we are all compromised.
This occurred to me during a conversation with a group of liberals that would not disagree with their party's far-left wing outside a small circle of close friends.
They know full well, commit hearsay against liberal orthodoxy, and the modern Spanish Inquisition will skip the fake trial and immediately burn you on the social media pyre.
This could cost you friends, family, and your livelihood. Most people conclude the risk is not worth it, hoping that whatever the issue is will fade away.
It’s similar for conservatives who dared not speak out against Donald Trump.
It turns out that Democrats and Republicans are both afraid of their own people.
While we like to think we would be the one to stand in front of the tank in Tiananmen Square, it’s hard to do if you have kids, a car payment, a mortgage, a 401(k), need health insurance, and lack generational wealth.
When we seek to tell the truth or question popular opinion, we are all compromised by our other commitments.
We all know the fate of most biblical prophets. We don’t like how the story ends.
I Know in my Heart I’m Right
I’m not speaking about bludgeoning people with a firmly held opinion, a personal anecdote or feeling we conflate with evidence, or a vague argument picked up from the cultural ether.
Rather, I’m speaking of a thoughtful critique or legitimate questioning of what is currently held as undeniable “truth.” Or something that should be benign, such as asking for nuance or allowing dissenting opinions on passionately held positions.
At some level, we all hold back. We go along to get along. We accept what is clearly stupid and not working at the office, in our communities, and in our families because most of the hills are not worth dying upon. We cannot be in constant conflict, so we stop seeing things that bother us and just accept them as part of what is so.
It’s the only way to survive in life.
Tenure as a Shield?
You would think that tenured professors with iron-clad job protections would be more willing to challenge the hot topics at their institutions or in society.
While they probably (key word there) wouldn’t get fired, they see the likely resulting turmoil as not worth the risk.
We have all seen how colleges and universities will circle the wagons to protect themselves first. Too bad; so sad if you get caught up in their CYA.
Anyone sucked into the Kafkaesque world of a university “investigation” after an angry social media mob attack or an anonymous complaint of making someone “feel” something uncomfortable would happily volunteer for 20 coloscopies, seven root canals, and an IRS audit as an alternative punishment. At the very least, the alternative would take far less time.
Yes, the investigation itself is a form of punishment. Even if the accused is cleared of wrongdoing, the time, money, energy, damage to reputation, and anxiety it causes are real repercussions for speaking out.
Don’t even think of questioning the wisdom, pace, or process. They will insist that it is how it needs to be, and the question makes you look guilty.
This makes even the hint of a possible investigation an excellent form of social control.
That is why we need to give a lot more grace to one another.
Grace, Understanding, and Support
We need to understand that college and university presidents, provosts, deans, tenured and tenure-track faculty, instructors, adjunct faculty, and staff are all compromised. While some are far more vulnerable than others, no one has a free pass from being worried about offending the wrong people.
While we need to honor the people that claim offense, we also need to give the accused a more robust benefit of the doubt. I know, I know, it’s a crazy notion to think a person is innocent until proven guilty when the mob is howling.
One of the best public relations strategies to calm the mob is to announce an investigation. It allows the passion of the moment to pass and to take advantage of the public’s short attention span. By the time the investigation is complete, people will have moved on. The only problem, you sacrificed a person and maybe their career in the process. Colleges and universities need to exhaust other ways to address concerns before turning people over to a star chamber.
Heretics need to have space to be heard and debated. And, as radical as this might sound, we need to be okay with students and ourselves being offended, having feelings hurt, and having our most fundamental beliefs challenged. Ideally, that’s what colleges and universities should be—a place for debate. But, again, we are all compromised, and public pressure is real. So, it is up to administrations to decide how to provide this space and deal with possible blowback before it arises, so there are no knee-jerk reactions.
It is important to support those who we believe are challenging the status quo in ways that we wish we could. They can be the spokesperson for things you know need to be said.
Most importantly, no one wants to get kicked out of their tribe. If that happens to a colleague, reach out. Offer kind words and support. They will appreciate it.