03/27/2018

Bad Behavior Is Contagious

Beware the company that you keep

The craziness displayed by senior members of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration—and Trump himself-- provides a troubling demonstration that bad emotions and social norms are remarkably contagious. It still stuns me, for example, that non-partisan site Politifact has documented that 69 percent of Trump’s statements are “mostly false,” “false” or “pants on fire;” while only 16 percent are “true” or “mostly true.”  

There is no need to replay how these and other destructive behaviors have infected, been excused by, and inflicted harm on so many current and past members of Trump’s inner circle. It is impossible to avoid the onslaught of news about the dishonesty, incivility and backstabbing that plagues almost everyone who enters this bizarre bubble. Of course, lying and nastiness have always been hallmarks of politics in the United States and elsewhere. But I fear that our current crop of top dogs is reaching new lows.  

Sure, part of the problem is that people who are prone to such ugliness are more attracted to and more likely to be invited to join teams plagued by bad behavior—birds of a feather do flock together. But this show offers another crucial lesson for each of us--no matter how good a person you may fancy yourself to be or how noble your past behavior.

Please select this link to read the complete article from LinkedIn.