Fr. Streeter was a Jesuit drama teacher at my high school. He and a friend were at the theater to see the premier of Fiddler on the Roof. Behind them, two middle-aged women were offering their own commentary of the film. As the credits began to roll and the after movie stretch began, they asked Father Street (who by chance was wearing his clerics) if he enjoyed the film. “I loved it,” said Father, “the music and acting were amazing.” The older of the two women replied, “It was like watching my grandparents!” It was the next comment she shared that made Father begin to think. She said, “And I loved your show too!”
As mentioned, Fr. Street was the drama teacher at my high school. He looked closely to see if this was one of the parents and assumed she was referring to the play recently concluded at school. “Which production did you see?” he asked.
“The Sound of Music!” she replied.
The two women were Jewish; for them, Fiddler was not just another movie or stage play. It was a piece of their history. The Sound if Music, therefore, was clearly the story of these two priests ‘world – especially the scenes in the abbey.
Oprah Winfrey was plugging her new film, The Butler, on Letterman. There was a long discussion (for late night, a full segment is a lot of time) that thus was not an African American film. Oprah, a woman who changed the face of television and has masses following her every word, was concerned the film may not receive broad appeal. David Letterman shared this belief. He went far out of his way to describe the social and historical relevance of The Butler.
A few years ago I served on the Diversity Committee for our health system. During a regular visit to my personal physician, he complained there was a mandatory meeting of all employed physicians scheduled for the first night of the Jewish High Holy Days. I was puzzled. My physician wasn’t Jewish and I had nothing to do with the program. He felt that I should know and share his outrage because I was Jewish. A week later I brought the issue up at our regularly scheduled meetings. Following a “song and dance” explanation of the scheduling issue, the VP leading the meeting made the discussion, the issue, and a personal one on my part.
These three stories may be viewed as representations of prejudice, ignorance, or over-characterization. Each of these stories reflect the reality in which we live. Coming from a healthcare world, if you see a white lab coat, you assume it’s a physician. When walking into an operating room, there is deference given to the surgeon at the head of the table. The situation very often is the filter in which we view the world and react to it.
There are numerous sociological and behavioral studies that could be used to explain the phenomena. Instead, to be honest, it is a sign of laziness on the part of the observer. Taking no more then a minute to size up a situation, the physical attributes of a situation of environment fill the void of thoughtful, purposeful conversation. We each may fall victim to socialization and a community’s norms; it doesn’t have to be that way. If we are presented with information that is contrary to our beliefs, the cognitive dissonance allows us to discount the information gleaned and entrench in the pre-exiting belief. In the case of cognitive dissonance, the individual attempts to reduce the dissonance and ACTIVELY avoids any situations, knowledge, or information that could increase the dissonance.
Faced with cognitive dissonance, a desire not to engage in fact finding, or lacking curiosity within a relationship, the result is always the same – poor performance.
Attempts to be innovative fail because they lack the engagement of others and the planning that comes from group think. The vision of an innovation becomes myopic and focused on the knowledge of only the visionary.
Attempts to improve the outcomes and quality of an experience or situation will fail. By preserving existing beliefs, it becomes easier to realign expectations instead of searching for the best outcomes. Sustained and consistent improvement never occurs. By being blinded by our own beliefs, the analysis of a situation appears grand and its outcomes outpacing the objective. A thoughtful review will find substandard outcomes and far fewer individuals engaged.
The quest for a quick fix created this problem. A solution will not be expedient or immediate. The long-term solution requires purposeful conversation, accepting of new ideas, and an innate desire to be part of a team.
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