Working Up

by Dwayne Phillips

This post begins a new series (of undetermined length) about changing the world.

Sometimes, all it takes is three people in a crowded room who say, “let’s tell the truth.”

The scene is a familiar one, especially if you work in government as people in government sit in more meetings than anyone else. The room has a big table in the center, and people are seated in chairs around the table. Sometimes there are people in chairs lining the walls of the room. There are at least ten people in the room.

The group has reached concensus on some matter of importance. The leader of the meeting proclaims, “There, that is settled. That is what we will do.”

Most of the heads in the room nod in weak but noticeable agreement.

One person dares to protest and meekly states, “but if we do that, we won’t be telling the truth.”

The room goes silent. How dare a person make such a statement. Are they trying to kill their career? Are they suicidal? Now is the moment when either the status quo continues or the world changes.

A second person speaks, “I agree. I don’t think we should do the first idea. Instead, I think we should tell the truth.”

The room remains silent. People start to stare at their feet to avoid eye contact.

Then a third person speaks, “I also agree. The first idea isn’t right in that it doesn’t tell the whole truth. I think we should tell the truth.”

That settles the matter. Three people with meek voices have swayed the other eight or twelve people in the room. No one wants to go on record as advocating anything less than the truth.

The world has changed because one person, then a second, and then a third said, “let’s tell the truth instead.”