The Power of Perspective: Transforming Ignorance into Understanding
I want to share a piece of advice that has profoundly impacted my journey, both professionally and personally.
Ten years ago, as I navigated my transition as a senior trans woman in the business world, someone offered me a golden nugget of wisdom:
"Never attribute to malice that which might be explained by incompetence."
It’s an insight that’s served me well. Often, when we encounter remarks or actions that feel vindictive, they are not born out of malice but rather a lack of understanding.
So, I’ve added my own spin on this:
"Never attribute to malice that which could be explained by ignorance."
As a trans woman, I frequently receive questions that are unintentionally offensive.?
Upon reflection, I realise these questions stem from ignorance, not malice, and people are often simply inquisitive and unaware of the impact of their words.
Understanding this distinction has allowed me to approach such situations with empathy and patience. It's a reminder that education and awareness can transform ignorance into understanding, creating better, more compassionate workplaces.
Let's continue to build a world where we seek to understand before we judge, and where kindness and curiosity guide our interactions.
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What are your key takeaways? Let me know in the comments below ??
#Leadership #Inclusion #Empathy #TransAwareness #ProfessionalGrowth #CorporateCulture
Principal - Supervision - Market Oversight at The Pensions Regulator
1 个月Very interesting and well said - the intention of words should be more important than the formulation or vocab. This is, of course, similar to "Hanlon's Razor" - the rule that one should never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
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2 个月Love this...
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2 个月Excellent advice. As I’ve aged I’ve also started to try hard to just “accept” more. By that I mean to not react before I either seek to understand or seek to let go. Everyone is a product of their own life experiences. What may be a trigger to me may be nothing to them and vice versa. What may be inflammatory to someone else may be forgettable to me. Motives are just as personal as the feelings evoked by another’s actions. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be more empathetic and try harder every minute of every day, but it does mean we can slow down the clock and give some grace and benefit of the doubt to others whose motives we do not yet understand.
Senior Director |Customer Success |Customer-centric Transformation
2 个月Such a short piece, but very powerful. Striking a balance between thoughtlessness and curiousity, or respecting a person's privacy and being a more open minded individual comes with pitfalls. Some of us are terrible at reading the signs of asking too much, or sharing too much. The learning for me is to pause, check and hold that question if I'm unsure if it's the right time or place to ask.
Transgender Woman, LGBTQ+ Advocate. Hoping I can say or do something that softens one person's mind, opens one person's heart, encourages one person to be an ally or inspires one person to live authentically.
2 个月I really needed to read this months ago. I went through a series of very deep personal difficulties and had ignorance layered on top that I was incapable of processing. I eventually came to the same conclusion that you did. Unfortunately it took too long to get there and it was a prolonged personal hell. The lemonade from the lemon is that I am considerably stronger than I was and now feel compelled to be a transgender advocate.