{"id":630,"date":"2019-04-29T15:59:01","date_gmt":"2019-04-29T13:59:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/icanbeme.space\/?p=630"},"modified":"2022-10-30T18:34:13","modified_gmt":"2022-10-30T17:34:13","slug":"taboos-vs-empowering-transparency","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/icanbeme.space\/index.php\/2019\/04\/29\/taboos-vs-empowering-transparency\/","title":{"rendered":"Taboos vs. Empowering Transparency"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Source: xbrl.org<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Taboos make us powerless. Transparency frees and empowers us.<\/strong> <\/h4>\n\n\n\n

How can we connect with others? And what does transparency have to do with it? The TED article \u201cIt\u2019s not politics or religion separating humans from each other; it\u2019s shame\u201d<\/a> suggests that we can start by questioning “all of the conventions, institutions<\/a>, technologies and mindsets that keep us apart [\u2026]\u201d, because they come with \u201cinternalized obstacles to [human] connection\u201d which trigger our feeling of shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An example is the social convention not to talk about money. Thankfully, the complexity of our world today \u2013 and the hard choices that come with this complexity \u2013 make us open up when it comes to how much things cost or how much one earns, if only to avoid getting screwed over. I wrote about this in my article about whether trade is an individualistic act or one that connects us as human beings<\/a>. Nevertheless, this taboo is still deeply embedded in most of us: even when we do open up and become more transparent in money matters, we are painfully aware that it isn\u2019t something we should be talking about, so we often feel shame.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, being driven by shame gives all the power to superior institutions, as the TED article<\/a> describes: \u201cThe social convention of hiding one\u2019s wealth or lack of it has less to do with protecting one another\u2019s feelings than protecting the power of our superiors.\u201d This power arises from the threat that information can be used against us, whether exerted by \u201creligions, cults, governments or social media platforms.\u201d At the prospect of exposure, we feel shame and so we comply with secrecy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secrecy separates humans and only tends to serve the big capitalist institutions. As the TED article \u201cWhy you should know how much your coworkers get paid\u201d<\/a> describes: \u201cSecrecy is a sneaky way for companies to save a lot of money. Keeping salaries secret leads to what economists call \u2018information asymmetry\u2019.\u201d The company has all the information on all the salaries of all employees, while one employee only knows one\u2019s own salary. That is a breeding ground for feelings of unfairness. Consequently, people are \u201cactually more likely to feel underpaid \u2014 and even discriminated against\u201d, which isn\u2019t surprising since pay secrecy makes it easy to hide discrimination, such as a potential male\/ female salary gap. Salary negotiations become a game of getting as much as possible without getting screwed over<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If all of this seems quite obvious, then why do we play our roles in keeping this system of secrecy
\u2014 either as superiors perpetuating this culture or as subordinates keeping our mouths shut? The first answer is shame, which we have been socialized to feel when we talk about taboos, such as money. The other answer is that we don\u2019t know any other way. We fear that \u201cif everybody knew what everybody gets paid, all hell would break loose at work, there\u2019d be arguments and complaints. Some people might even quit\u201d (TED article<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, studies show that transparency is beneficial for companies in the long run as it increases \u201cthe feelings of fairness and collaboration inside a company.\u201d This leads to people working harder to improve their performance, as they know what impact that will have on the company and their own salary. Furthermore, Frederic Laloux writes in his book \u201cReinventing organizations\u201d<\/a> that loyalty cannot be bought, but is based on transparency and fairness. A company\u2019s most valuable asset is its loyal employees, because they are autonomously motivated<\/a> to do good for the company. Autonomous (as opposed to controlled) motivation is not dependent on external rewards<\/a>. Making pay scales transparent, building a sense of fairness and making employees feel appreciated increases employees\u2019 self-confidence and autonomous motivation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After all, transparency helps connect humans by solving the \u201cinformation asymmetry\u201d. By opening up and putting information out there, we display vulnerability, which helps us connect with others. Sure, at first we might feel shame, but then we realise we\u2019re taking the power away of those who want us to feel shame. Then comes the feeling of awe at owning up to what is<\/em> and connecting with others. Isn\u2019t that feeling worth overcoming the initial shame, leaving us feeling more empowered than before?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No matter what the short-term inconveniences are, I think to #Saywhatis<\/em> is the only way we feel truly connected with others and also with ourselves. That is why I would like to end with the TED article\u2019s<\/a> call to action: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor those of you that have the authority to move forward towards transparency: it\u2019s time to move forward. And for those of you that don\u2019t have that authority, it\u2019s time to stand up for your right to\u201d <\/em>\u2013 and open up!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

How do you choose to act when you feel shame regarding opening about a tabooed topic? Have you experienced that sense of aw that comes with showing vulnerability? I am curious to read about your experiences in the comments below or in my inbox <\/a>\ud83d\ude42 <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Written by Julia Heuritsch | Last edited: 30th October\u00a02022<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/p>\n

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