We Can't Solve Hate In Our Society: Accept What You Can't Fix!

I'm not advocating that we as people accept hate but recognize that we can't fix all situations because we do not have control over the minds of those who make decisions.  We also don't always have the power to fix that which is deeply embedded, often protected and rewarded. When this happens you can do the best you can but often your going to draw the aggressve ere of large crowds of segregationsts and hate supporters. The laws are sometimes subjective and until people stand together against hate and put pressure on our leaders to see all people as having value its never going to end. It will only grow as sociological changes and technology changes occur giving more voice to such groups. At the same time is a younger more diverse generation that is very much against hate and discrimination. It will likely get worse for a while before it gets better.

Read this piece on Why We Hate? and you will find that it is deeply embedded and the goal is to destroy, ostracize, damage, and hurt the targets of hate as much as possible. 

I have been using a hypothetical example to teach how hate may function on local level. In this example, hate rumors were used to dehumanize and ostracize the targets to encourage future hate. The also were rewarded by such hate and corrupted officials put the targets on a hit list and once they whistleblew on the hate group they were further targeted. Multiple incidents of attempted violence in view of witnesses swept away so as to protect the perpetrators (i.e. witness tampering and statement adjustments.). Some officials and the local justice system were aware of these behaviors. They are not all good or bad people but entilted to hate and entitled to misapplicaiton of the law to please certain extremist values and social groups. Not only were the targets denied justice but they were then further denied certain protections that should be available for all citizens. Wider extremist networks who previously were known to have engaged in serious anti-government/hate based extremism in other places took notice. Multiple people talked publically against corruption and hate and were stalked. While officially illegal there was a stake in protecting violence and corruption. The laws were and are subjective leaving open long term risks for the community who gallantly stood for their values without help. 

Now this is a hypothetical learning example to show some of the worst hate and the corruption that protects it. We can't solve this if the rules, laws and political environment encourage hate. So we have to come to accept that there are many people who want some members of society to be second class citizens and there is no backstop to that. They feel entitled to such aggression and they are protected in that aggression opening a much larger question on how tax payer dollars should be used. The legality of misbehaviors is so normalized that disagreeing with hate openly will put strip you of human and civil rights....even though what your doing helps others and in more alignment to your social contracts and culture. Your contributions to society, to others, to your nation means almost nothing to segregationists...perhaps less than nothing. 

I guess there is a silver lining to hate. Your not responsibile for the failings of society. The only thing you can do is encourage a better world. Talking about the value of all people regardless of supervision differences or the importance of institutions that serve the public strips you of all types of things including your rights and your opportunities. Your contributions to society are likely to be negated and anything helpful given away to others. Its not a prize if its not reflective of your work and your values. We have seen this in history in other places as well. They can have it freely! Nobody is going to fix these things they don't have the moral conscious and the higher you go the more you are required to loose your humanity.

*This is a hypoethical example for learning purposes. A type of thought experiment on freedom of religion, speach, Constitution and human rights. Take with a grain of salt. 

Escanaba Marina works on 5-year-plan: Gotta Get A Boat in Next Year!

New upgrades to the Marina and Wells Boat Launch fishing areas. That's good. I didn't have my boat in the harbor this year but might be getting a different vessel next year but have to wait and see. I sold my fishing boat last year and am looking for something that is better for the bay and its waves.

The Limitations of Solving Complex Problems

Understanding complex problems and making decisions on that understanding is important. Some people are naturally better at understanding complex problems and being accurate when compared to others. If we were all good at it then we would have solved many personal, organizational, and national problems by now. Thus, finding solutions also means talking in the various pieces of information and sifting them through various problem perspectives to find that which seems to be the most holistic solution. 

What holds people back are many and that includes limited perspective, personal bias, time, resources, and even want and need. When we take the time to understand ourselves we become better decision makers. We can do that because we become aware of what blinds us. As Confusions said, "The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell.". Just because it sells doesn't make it a solution....it could do even the opposite. 

The more complex the problem, the more we need to understand ourselves to see all of the parts and find the solutions needed. 

The following is what constitutes complex decision making from a study on Complex Decision Making (Fischer, Greiff & Funke, 2012, abstract)

(1) information generation (due to the initial intransparency of the situation), 

(2) information reduction (due to the overcharging complexity of the problem’s structure), 

(3) model building (due to the interconnectedness of the variables), 

(4) dynamic decision making (due to the eigen dynamics of the system), and 

(5) evaluation (due to many, interfering and/or ill-defined goals)

 Fischer, Andreas & Greiff, Samuel & Funke, Joachim. (2012). The Process of Solving Complex Problems. Journal of Problem Solving. 4. 19-42. 10.7771/1932-6246.1118. 

Toxicity and its Impact for Leaders and Organizations

Toxicity is an all too popular topic for people and not often understood in terms of its long term impact on organizations and society. Profit margins can decline and dissention sowed by those who hold within themselves the propensity for the dark triad arts. Recognizing toxicity is helpful and having mechanisms for leaders and organizations to deal with it is important. Many times awareness of how toxic personalities impact the environment is not well known until long after its effects and the offender moves on. A greater focus on what is central to the organizatoin and the values it holds can counter that.

Experience and research help show that toxic personalities have a confounding effect on the climate of a workplace. Good people leave, ideas are lost, infighting grows, unethical behaviors rise, short term decision making abounds, etc. Generally, people are less productive when such individuals are around and the entire organization, entity, and/or institution suffers. Short term gains are good as long as we focus on the trees.

I have learned over the years that such toxic people continue on until they tangle with someone more dominant or who has more influence. Policies are typically not enforced until the problem has become so big it can't be ignored. That happens because organizations reward short term results over long-term growth and don't have enough emphasis on values. Really good organizations manage for the long term and they stick with certain characteristics and vlaues that come to define them. Employees help create that definition so they select wisely.

You may want to read Qualitative Research on Toxic Personalities

A few things to think about in terms of how personality both positive and toxic influence performance:

-Personality influences culture and communication lines.

-Personality influences decisions, rewards, and outcomes. 

-Personality influences idea generation and the environment where people feel empowered to bring forward new ideas to improve innovation. 

-Personality impacts workplace culture and skill retention. 

-Personality opens or narrows the communication lines to be nimble when change is needed. 

If one has a positive helpful personality they are going to have influence and if someone has a toxic negaitve personality they are going to also have influence. While toxicity is hard to manage organizations can focus on certain values, ethics, civility, etc. to enhance their environment and remove people who are obsticles to long term growth. As current and future leaders and peope in positions of authority the environment you create, the type of people you hire, and even the outputs of such activities are a reflection of your personal work. It is helpful to have the right people on the team with greater focus to their missions. 

Why I'm Not a Supporter of Elitism? (Sometimes its Ok but Mostly Just Gets in the Way)

 Who wouldn't want to be rich, powerful, have revolving door opportunities, first pick in education and first pick for jobs and postitions? It would be nice right? Get all the things you want and only need to work half as hard. What makes one elite versus not elite is often the financial wealth they hold, their social connections and the opportunities other decision makers in society give to them. However, there is a detractor to promoting elitists and giving them the things they want but didn't necessarily earn on their merit. Weaknesses can arise in societal adaptability and strength. 

The way I see it, many of the elitists are neither good or bad because at their they are like everyone else. If you gave anyone wealth, power, and privelidge they are going to use it for their benefit. They are going to enjoy the fruits of influence and their kids are also going to enjoy the fruits of influence (About 3 generations unless your really smart and put everyting into a large investment trust with managers.). All of that makes sense and most people when put in that position are going to do the same. Its fairly natural from a psychological perspective to be somewhat selfish. 

Where it starts being a societal problem is when elitists are put in positions of authority that restrict the development of society based on their advantage. The problem with elitism is that the very socializing that occurs to solidify well to do networks provides a distinction when compared to the rest of society (It kind of always bothered me when people suck up to others because they have wealth. It should make no difference.). They do not know what it is like to live pay check to pay check or be locked out of good schools even if you outperform everyone else (i.e. schools on performance versus elitism).

That limited perspective begins to impact society and it limits the adaptability of our institutions. When you inherently view yourself and people you see as like yourself as more worthy when compared to others who may have accomplished much more with less resources then you are not allocating resources to those who can have those most benefit to society. As a general rule for most of society it makes sense to give resources where they can grow and flourish for maximum benefit of many different stakeholders.

I have ran with the elites and I have never outran my blue collar and small business owning background.There is still something meaningful to having a cup of coffee and do it yourself working on your house/project. Perhaps throwing a fishing line from the shore is of interest as well. Served in the military (I'm a big supporter as an equalizer in society), continue to serve through volunteering and firefighting. Can kickbox and do martial arts fairly well. I like Levis, Dickies and my favorite hat is from a Hardward Store in OB (Surfers, Bikers, Hippies). Mostly I wear cowboy and work boots but still look good in a suit when I need to look professional (I can dress like a gentleman with all the social graces because I have earned the sophistication and not the facade). That humble background is engrained in you. 

Learned over the years some of the cultural stuff that were more akin to private boarding schools. I can ride horses well, played music in the past and could have got a scholarship for it (Still practicing the harmonica because its mobile and light. Hope to learn 10 songs I can play in public.), can fence with multiple swords, have sold a few pieces of art, wrote a few poems, danced a few dances on stake, took a few lead spots in theater, and pretty much would like to do more of those things for fun. They don't pay the bills but every once in a while I might get a little for some art piece in my virtual gallery or activity in my skill bank. 

Still like nice restaurants and vacations but usually option for middle of the road and budget friendly because I had kids that should have an opportunity to attend college (They are not old enough to appreciate those sacrafices yet. Neither is the rest of society I guess.). Hopefully soon I can reallocate a little of that expense soon to buy a Harley and the Old Ford or Chevy pickup I was thinking about. I need it as a work horse. However, I would like to drive a Harley in a suit to a business meeting or fancy restaurant at least once would be fun. 

I can devour books and information like a polymath and a couple people in my family were diagnosed as genius. I guess I'm highly gifted from multiple assessments but it has been a little of a curse in the world I grew up in. Wrote a few unread books that successfully projected trends, working on a new one, invented some mallets, developed an economic model (Some positive changes came from that.), a community development model, and redesigned the possibilities of education (That one cool and works but you never know.). I have maxed out in education, read for fun, and do run a philanthropy side business that seeks to give 100% to charities that help communities. 

Why do I do all that sort of random usless stuff? Beyond a constant urge for the novel it is because life is unfair and people make all types of decisions to keep it unfair. My defiance to those who judge us and those who didn't support us.

I know that unfairness from the bruises, scars, bashes, rumors, disparities, injustices, and the wide variances in race and religion that change is needed competitive as a nation is needed to develop our human capital from a broad set of the population. Sometimes the environment maxes you out before you are maxed out and that is a waste and inefficient in national development. To some broad based development of our people is a silly idea but too me it creates new opportunities when technology, education, skill, and new perspectives come to light.  That light is the guide to the next generation and I'm still out there removing the roadblocks for them. At least someone cares no matter how small the contribution. 

Elite Theory and its Theorectical Challenges

Who are the People Who Stand Against Hate? The Psychology of Community Values (Post Awareness)

Hate is a disease that infects social relationships and has the power to warp decision making and ethical perspectives. Moral conscious can be seen as something unwanted when dealing with those who are seen as "out group" members. It doesn't take long to find hate; turn on the news or listen to your run of the mill "know it all" on the street corner (Amazingly, people do listen to the ramblings of others when making their own decisions without critically examining the information first.). You can sense hate mixed with aggression just by the communication patterns (tone, pitch, etc.), word choices, latent cognitive functions (indicating self and shadow), environmental context, body language, etc.that define the full message. It comes from a desperate place and rewarding and feeding that desparation leads to more hate addiction in the future for the temporary respite it offers.

Hate is one of those dark arts rooted deeply in our human psychology because it shields us from the truth of ourselves. Hate is a byproduct of a dysfunctioned and underdeveloped mind (You can take a level of pity on bigots for they don't know what they don't know.). Why do some people stand up for something important and why some people don't has been a perplexing question since man became aware of his/her social existence (I, Me, We arguments and perspectives of choice.). It is like saying who has a healthy pro-social mind seeking to create connectivity and who has a suffering mind trying to sow division (You got to see past the social rituals and gestures to understand that. We all met toxic people who first gave good impressions that gave way to poorer behaviors.)?

One thing is that I have the greatest amount of respect for those who walk the talk on their values versus those who trip over their tongues (Its not the eloquence of what is being said that is of most concern. It is the actions that often count more.). Community members believe in the purpose of togetherness and they believe in being inclusive in society (Character is more defining than race or religion). A few do not but they didn't let those who hate define them. In many ways they adapted and overcame the bandits of bigotries, warriors of words, and culprits of cultures of corruption (Hate often spills over to other poor behaviors like extreism and corruption based on that deep seated despiration mentioned above.).

Such good stewards of a community are the ones who keep it growing, developing, and creating a higher level of societal development (Notice the root motivation comes from a good versus dark place). Often it is easier, more lucrative, sociably acceptable, and rewarded when hate defines how we treat each other. We all suffer. Good people have higher moral value sets. They use those values as guides to their lives and that comes out in their goal directed behaviors that enhance the whole for everyone. (Economics is the study of choice and choice can be the study of economics. Togetherness creates one path of developoment and division creates another. I opt for together.). Ethics and Prosocial Whistleblowers

The ending of this story hasn't been written yet but it is one of those major moral conscious questions on why some people stand up against hate and others sort of default. Much could likely be defined by inner worm at the core values that define a man/woman's soul (Those who persecuted others cannot define accurate the soul of those they dehumanized.). Our collective choices come to define us as an indivisible people. Thus encouraging good values and a sense of togetherness in communities (often defined subsconsiously by overcoming community challenges) furthers the collective health of the whole against the misdeeds of a few. Its not what bad people have done but what we do after which truly defines us. Turn the page.......

"One citizen differs from another, but the salvation of the community is the common business of them all. This community is the constitution; the virtue of the citizen must therefore be relative to the constitution of which he is a member." Aristotle

What Stops Us from Standing Up for What's Right?

What is Community Engagement?

Community as Strategic Value

*This article is a thought experiment on freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the Constitution and human/civil rights. Take with a grain of salt. 

Human Capital Development Projection until 2100: Could a Competency Model Help?

Let us look at an interesting study of human capital development among 180 countries from 1970 until 2100. Wages and education are assessed based on wages and educational attainment to determine weighted human capital development. The researchers were looking to assess productive capacity and human capital heterogeneity into a single metric. In figure 2 we see the U.S. and China leveling off. Cross Country Weighted Human Capital

It does concern me that there is a slowing human capital curve for the U.S. as seen through skills development. This study looks at a certain metrics used to assess weighted human capital and while not conclusive should raise our interest in understanding national competitiveness. In science we have to narrowly define the variables so we have something measure. In general life, there may be many differnet factors and unknown factors. The study does highlight the need for the U.S. to be robust in its human capital development.

This means in some respects education will need to become more accessible and the quality of education should rise to serve the modern industry market. Thus, we have to think of new ways to compete in the higher education fields and that requires a certain amount of reenvisioning. Accessibility, cost, quality, diversity, outputs all have a factor in increasing the amount of people who can use their skills for long-term personal and industry skill development (i.e. industry competency model).

I have been talking about human capital development mixed with technology as the next leg of U.S. development. However, there are some steps that need to be taken along the way. This is why I develop a competency model that maps learned skills, encourages deeper learning and the assessment of such learning to ensure they are being taught before students head out in the market. If we can create students ready to compete with skills needed by indutstries and employers as well as develop the whole person for maximum societal contribution and a full life then we have done well. Where we are not doing well then we need improvement.

Let me also add that developing new models is not always easy because there are all types of different roadblocks based not so much in potential benefit but on the pipeline of development itself. This is why I have made the argument in other posts that improving innovative piple lines nationally can encourage greater economic growth (i.e. industry cluster model). Put in some new technology and diverse human capital and you likely have a good start (i.e. national development model. Need-Economic Development, Industry-University Research, Prosocial Problem Solving, Equity-Employee )

"Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else." 

Leanoardo da Vinci 😆

Marois, G., Cuaresma, J.C., Zellmann, J. et al. A dataset of human capital-weighted population estimates for 185 countries from 1970 to 2100. Sci Data 11, 612 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03466-y