In the past two weeks, the media has been discussing, debating, and condemning radio personality Don Imus. All this attention is centered around comments Mr. Imus made in reference to the Rutgers Women's basketball team on his morning show, Imus in the Morning. I will assume that all will agree that what he said was offensive and below a standard of decency that Mr. Imus should have for himself. To Mr. Imus' defense, he has continually and repeatedly apologized for his statement and has even offered to meet with the Rutgers team. However, no matter what one's opinions are about the attention and punishment Imus is receiving this whole episode has revealed five very important lessons for us to consider.
1) Words do matter - Words (especially words expressed across the airwaves) have true power. Words can inform, enlighten, and in this case hurt. Imus, who has built his career on words is now suffering from them. Thus, Ladies and Gentlemen choose your words carefully.
2) Sorry only goes so far - This entire episode leads to this 2nd observation and lesson. Our society has seemingly developed the belief that the word "sorry" heals all wounds. It doesn't. Sorry is a hard word to say and it is honorable because it reveals that an individual acknowledges wrong. However, sorry does not undue. Forgiveness is divine but we mere mortals cannot be expected to be divine all the time.
3) Money drives all - MSNBC announced yesterday that it would be dropping the Imus in the Morning show. Many applauded the move. However, it is unclear if MSNBC was driven by some high ideal against racist/sexist speech or by the fact that its corporate sponsors were pulling their advertising dollars out of Imus' show. No matter the motivation, the lesson is clear: if you are angry and want change head straight to where the money is...advertising.
4) Even the smallest actions have consequences - Don Imus has been on radio for decades and has been on TV for 11 years. He has raised tens of millions of dollars for child disease research and veterans. He operates a ranch for children dying of cancer. He has done and continues to do good works. Yet, none of this matters now. His current struggle is driven by three words delivered in less than 3 seconds. Here is a hard lesson to learn: no matter how good you are, no matter how much good you do, don't let small actions ruin you, because they will if you commit them.
5) Perception matters - Imus has repeatedly claimed that he is not a sexist or a racist. But that claim does not matter. It does not matter if you are not truly a racist or a sexist. What matters is the perception that others have of you. We live in a highly social and (thanks Tom Friedman) "flat" world. You might be the nicest person on earth but if others perceive you as mean, then you are mean. It may not be fair but it is how the world functions. As a famous Republican pollster Frank Luntz writes, "It's not what you say, it's what people hear." Pay attention to how people perceive you. Don't be fake but make sure your actions and words accurately reflect who you are or who you want to be.
1) Words do matter - Words (especially words expressed across the airwaves) have true power. Words can inform, enlighten, and in this case hurt. Imus, who has built his career on words is now suffering from them. Thus, Ladies and Gentlemen choose your words carefully.
2) Sorry only goes so far - This entire episode leads to this 2nd observation and lesson. Our society has seemingly developed the belief that the word "sorry" heals all wounds. It doesn't. Sorry is a hard word to say and it is honorable because it reveals that an individual acknowledges wrong. However, sorry does not undue. Forgiveness is divine but we mere mortals cannot be expected to be divine all the time.
3) Money drives all - MSNBC announced yesterday that it would be dropping the Imus in the Morning show. Many applauded the move. However, it is unclear if MSNBC was driven by some high ideal against racist/sexist speech or by the fact that its corporate sponsors were pulling their advertising dollars out of Imus' show. No matter the motivation, the lesson is clear: if you are angry and want change head straight to where the money is...advertising.
4) Even the smallest actions have consequences - Don Imus has been on radio for decades and has been on TV for 11 years. He has raised tens of millions of dollars for child disease research and veterans. He operates a ranch for children dying of cancer. He has done and continues to do good works. Yet, none of this matters now. His current struggle is driven by three words delivered in less than 3 seconds. Here is a hard lesson to learn: no matter how good you are, no matter how much good you do, don't let small actions ruin you, because they will if you commit them.
5) Perception matters - Imus has repeatedly claimed that he is not a sexist or a racist. But that claim does not matter. It does not matter if you are not truly a racist or a sexist. What matters is the perception that others have of you. We live in a highly social and (thanks Tom Friedman) "flat" world. You might be the nicest person on earth but if others perceive you as mean, then you are mean. It may not be fair but it is how the world functions. As a famous Republican pollster Frank Luntz writes, "It's not what you say, it's what people hear." Pay attention to how people perceive you. Don't be fake but make sure your actions and words accurately reflect who you are or who you want to be.
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