Years ago the company I worked for changed to a 4-9-4 schedule that consisted of 9-hour work days Monday through Thursday and a 4-hour day on Friday. The company also allowed for flex time, meaning you could start your day earlier or later. I started coming in at 6:00 a.m. to beat traffic, so often I would be finishing my workday at 10:00 a.m. on Friday. I would proudly announce that my day was done as I left at 10:00 a.m. I found it disconcerting that many people replied:
"You're lucky! I can't remember the last time I only worked four hours on Friday."
I have since come up with a better understanding of this phenomenon (partially thanks to Dan McClellan and the book Sapiens)
Boundaries
Human evolution grew our brains to the point that we could manage to participate in communities of 150 people. Since our communities are much larger than this, we need a way to maintain social cohesion. One way we have done this is by creating arbitrary boundaries that define religions, companies, and other organizations. These boundaries show who is in and who is out. They define the behaviors required to signal to others that you are a trusted member of the group. The result is that we can interact with and trust people we do not know or have never met.
To signal that you are a more trusted member, you spend more of your time and energy, like working a full Friday instead of only the half-day that may be required.
So far, this sounds good, right?
On My Honor
I'm an Eagle Scout and some of my best memories from my childhood are from Scouting. I always liked the morals taught in Scouting. For example:
"Leave No Trace" - when you leave camp (or any place), leave it better than you found it. It reminds me of the "Keep America Beautiful" campaign that I learned in school as a young boy. This week, I was walking through the parking lot and someone had dumped all of their trash from a visit to a fast food restaurant. It was ugly and offensive.
This past week, I watched the documentary "On My Honor: The Untold Story of the Scouts", about sexual abuse in the Scouting organization. I know I am biased in favor of Scouting, so I disagreed with one of the opening statements that the good parts of scouting were just a facade for what was really going on in Scouting. I had the view that Scouting was inherently good and any abuses were a minor blemish on the organization.
I now have a different opinion.
The Problem with Moral Superiority
When a group creates an arbitrary boundary to signal high moral standards within the group, it can be very attractive to people wanting to find a safe place in a chaotic, and sometimes dangerous world. When joining such a group, members can then relax with the expectation that they are safe.
The problem arises when the signals required to join the group can be easily learned by dangerous players. In the case of Scouting, any adult male can wear a uniform, recite the Scout Motto and Scout Law, and volunteer. And, the organization was hungry for volunteers. Sexual predators learned this and so joined the ranks.
The problem is further worsened when the leadership of the organization takes a stand on their proclaimed moral superiority and refuses to acknowledge the wolves in sheep's clothing in their own organization. They are blinded by the same biases that I previously had about Scouting.
When the reputation of an organization becomes more important than the moral mission it claims to have, then there is a moral inversion. The offended individual becomes a sacrifice at the altar of the greater good.
Look in the Mirror
How about your organization or cause? Is it vulnerable to a similar moral inversion? Maybe there is no mistreatment within your organization, but how do you treat those outside of your boundaries? Do you apply the same morals and standards to non-members?
It's easy to feel good about the claims of the group, but good feelings can be a dangerous deceiver.
I have a saying:
Be careful putting up walls; you may end up on the wrong side.
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