Beware the Echo Chamber
We live in a unique time when it’s possible to live in a bubble where we only see and hear things that are comfortable and which agree with our frame of reference for the world. This is comforting, but dangerous. The internet and social media, with all their promise, have allowed many to retreat into an alternate reality. This makes me sad, and makes the world more difficult for all of us.
I have watched with dismay as the actress Gina Carano has committed career suicide over the last year. I loved her character on The Mandalorian and was cheering for this portrayal of a strong woman. After being an important part of the world’s most popular show, her career is now great damaged.
Her social media posts of conspiracy theories and lies have caught up with her. I imagine that she is one of those who fell down the rabbit hole, ending up in an alternate reality. If you only see posts and news stories which confirm your point of view, it is plausible that you would begin to believe it.
We are all subject to this danger, no matter our world view, and we must watch for confirmation bias and retreating to our own bubble. This takes work and diligence.
Great leaders welcome fresh ideas, challenges, and differences of opinion. If a director has a weak ego and only surrounds themselves with those who agree with them, they are doomed to stagnate and stop growing. A director with a strong ego knows that heated discussions, disagreements, and passionate conversations are the bedrock of growth and improvement.
Ask yourself: “Do I welcome opinions and ideas that challenge me? Am I open to learning something new?” I love it when I find out I’ve been wrong about something and can change my opinion. I really do like to get it right.
The older I get and the further I get into my career, the more I find myself being brutally honest with people. And the more they seem to like it. Of course, there’s a way to frame this advice so that they know your intent is to be helpful, but I find my clients like it when I’m “straight up” with them and don’t pull punches. Hopefully I’ve cultivated a reputation as someone who is here to help and really does have their best interest in mind. But it serves no one if I deceive someone and don’t give them my honest educated opinion.
Be strong and open to challenges to the way you do things and the ideas you live by. Have empathy for those around us who are living in their echo chamber and alternate reality, but hold them accountable for the impact of these bad choices. We can only do so much to help pull them from these views, but a life well lived, with a openness to new ideas, will allow you to grow. It’s also the best way for your own group to flourish and improve. Your example to the world will not be unnoticed and could help pull someone else from their echo chamber. Be that example!
Tim Hinton
February 11, 2021
