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What Can #MeToo Teach Us?

I am not on social media outside of this blog. I have long seen far more downside than upside to social media interaction. If you want to engage me in something concerning real life, text me, send me an email, or meet up in person. I also have rolled my eyes at times at social media activism. I did not see what it could accomplish. Then #MeToo arrived. Social media gave people a voice, an way to tell a story where the act of telling story was all that was needed to bring change. Exposure. Exposure of the powers that be, of the danger of male hegemony. Without this exposure things would never change. The powers would never be outed. There would be no chance that my daughter would encounter a world where she has a better than 50-50 chance of going through life avoiding unwanted sexual touching.[1] I am so grateful for #MeToo. However, we have an even bigger opportunity here. Sexual predation is a symptom of a wider disease.

Over the last eighteen months I've been taking on an increasing amount of leadership in my work. During that time, which has also overlapped with our national crisis of leadership I've seen how important it is for leaders to have strong moral character.[2] The character of leaders has a huge impact on the experience of those under their power. Power does funny things to people, and one should always be wary of those who seek it, as its rarely sought for the good of others.[3] Power attracts the wrong kind of person. Additionally those at the top of the top incent those under them to keep the average person down. Keeping salaries in check leads to bigger bonuses or more valuable stocks options for the elite. Oppression then becomes hard wired and takes on a multiplicity of forms, one of which is sexual harassment. The people under you cease to be people and become property, a means to an end.

So yes, let's throw out the bums who have used their power for sexual gain, but why stop there? Why don't we focus on finding leaders who are both capable and virtuous. From an economic standpoint that may not make sense, but why do economics have to rule? Wouldn't we be better off if we had less stuff but also less suffering? Yes, leaders need to have vision, and certain capabilities. However, if we don't make virtue part of our criteria, things will never change. We'll just have #MeToo in a new form.

None of this is to suggest that I am a paragon of virtue and that I have it all figured out. How I wish that was the case! However, one thing I have learned is to look to the model of Jesus to see how to lead. In every respect it's the opposite of the problems I described above. One leads by serving, by giving of oneself sacrificially for the sake of others, by loving them, and doing for them what they cannot do for themselves.

May that be true of me.

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[1] To state the obvious, the lifetimes of the respondents are not over, and unfortunately this means some of the respondents to the survey who have not experienced unwanted sexual touching will face it at some point in the future, bringing the lifetime experience rate higher. How much higher is unknown.

[2] None of this is intended as commentary on my specific workplace.

[3] I think of Dumbledore's famous quote from Deathly Hallows “It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it. Those who, like you, have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well.”

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