Before I even get started, I'm going to eradicate any lingering notion you might have that this post is Spiderman-related. While I do find Peter Parker's journey from man to arachnid quite entertaining, that story doesn't really fit the point I'm trying to get across. So, for all you die-hard Spiderman fans who were expecting a rant about what you believe to be the world's greatest superhero, I'm sorry to have misled you.
For the rest of you, let's get back to the real purpose of this post. When blessed with a position of great influence, rather than swaying an audience with inflammatory remarks, biased and/or tailored statistics, or plain misinformation, one should research his/her arguments and provide ever eager audiences with supporting, but accurate, facts, letting the followers form their own opinions and views of the world. Now, of course I realize it is far too unrealistic to expect this one hundred percent of the time. But, with the opportunity to voice opinions becoming ever more prevalent with the use of Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks, this issue deserves to be addressed.
I have no problem with using Facebook, blogs, Twitter, Google +, etc. as forums for this kind of communication (obviously). What I do have a problem with is when individuals, groups, parties, or anyone in between feed their audiences tragically biased or misinformed ideas without regard to opposing views and criticisms. This is especially dangerous when these individuals, advocates, or groups have an excessive amount of people admiring them who quite possibly hang on their every word and action. I grant that many people are intelligent enough to discern for themselves between an obvious lie or clear irrational remark and a well-researched, well-written argument. However, misinformation is not always so easy to spot. Often, biased statistics can come from a bar graph scale designed to exaggerate, and "facts" can be created by omitting or manipulating information that doesn't agree with desired results.
On that note, another responsibility of a good role model and leader is knowing how to accept criticism. This can mean anything from admitting a flaw in logic, to willingly correcting a math error, to accurately presenting ideas contradictory to the point being made. Not only does this provide the audience with a well-researched, well-presented argument to base their views off of, but it also prevents the person in power from losing his/her patrons, if followers should find out they are being fed a misrepresentation of the actual facts. Finally, the most important part of taking criticism, which is also a great way to gain respect from followers, entails really listening to the audience, and being understanding when they don't necessarily agree with the argument presented.
Overall, one of the most important things for a leader to remember is the potential effect of his/her words and actions on the world around them. Not only does showing both sides of an argument and researching any facts presented make the person with power look good, but most importantly, it prevents misunderstanding and ignorant ideas among anyone who happens to be listening.
Best of wishes to you in this not so big, yet not so small world.
Sincerely,
- Emily
