Justice Prevails

The classic Magnificent Seven movie, played frequently on Turner Classic Movies (TCM), has possibly never been more relevant. Seven elite “hired guns” travel to a village in Mexico to eliminate a gang of desperadoes. In the first village engagement the desperadoes are sufficiently humbled, but the desperadoes return with reinforcements and with the support of an "underground" faction that is apparently willing to return to the unruly and unfair status quo. The seven, led by Yul Brenner, agree to turn over their guns with the understanding that the guns would be returned if they left town peaceably (and with the unspoken intention to "fight another day").

In a poignant strategy session, the seven discuss going back to fight for justice or “taking their money” and leaving the village to the unjust rule of the bandits. Six of the seven (and later the seventh as well) return to the village and defeat the gang with Brenner killing the leader in a now typical superhero ending (similar to the ending of the Black Panther movie). Four of the mag seven meet untimely deaths in the final battle.

Here are a few reflections on why this film is a relevant and moving masterpiece:

• Similar to modern day Special Forces, like the Seals who took out Osama bin Laden, the magnificent seven demonstrate that a small team of effective warriors can sometimes defeat a much larger force (7 fighting like 700).
• Effective leadership is based on principles such as honesty, selfless-service, and courage. Money may be a factor at some point but should not be the prevailing factor.
• Villagers who fought with broom sticks, pots, and pans (men and women), were ultimately as brave and triumphant as the hired guns.
• Hanging up the guns, like one of the surviving heroes, and settling down for family and farming is a romantic dream worth preserving and attaining.
• Ultimately the quest for justice is worth fighting for. Freedom is never free and always priceless.
• The 100th anniversary of Armistice Day (in 2017) reminded us of the high price of war and precious aspects of peace.

On a personal note, about 20 years ago at now defunct Polaris Networks, I pulled together a volley ball team for a very competitive company tournament. We named our team the “Mag Seven”; our team, as I recall, had the only two women in the whole tournament. We didn’t win the tournament, but we survived the first round against an all-male team and lost in the second round in a very close match against another all-male team. Our mag seven team did not prevail, but we did make a statement about fairness and diversity. The City Beach indoor volleyball facility, as I recall, later ran league tournaments with the requirement of having at least one woman on the team. Of course, it goes without saying that gender and skill, whether on the volleyball court, on the Army Ranger field, or in a modern day battle space are certainly not mutually exclusive.

Concluding Thought

I have been forever puzzled by the actions of a faction of villagers that actually helped the desperadoes come back and almost defeat the Magnificent Seven and their ragtag assistance with pots, pans, and broom sticks for weapons. Perhaps, however just a cause might seem, some people will take the opposing point of view. Matta, Scott, Colquitt, Koopman, and Passantino (2017) explore justice and consistency. Consistent fairness is of course the best treatment. Matta et al. posit, however, that consistent unfairness can sometimes be easier to deal with rather than inconsistent treatment with sporadic unfairness. Let us all strive for consistent fairness and stamp out unfairness in any shape or form.

Reference

Matta, F. K., Scott, B. A., Colquitt, J. A., Koopman, J., & Passantino, L. G. (2017). Is consistently unfair better than sporadically fair? An investigation of justice variability And stress. Academy of Management Journal, 60, 743-770. doi:10.5465/amj.2014.0455