(A THREAD REGARDING MY GENERAL PERSPECTIVES TOWARD HUMANITY)
Before going into HOT TAKES, I thought it might be helpful to add some flavor context on my assumptions for human behavior and how they inform my work as a disc org ED and my thinking about ultimate's future.
Before going into HOT TAKES, I thought it might be helpful to add some flavor context on my assumptions for human behavior and how they inform my work as a disc org ED and my thinking about ultimate's future.
https://twitter.com/being_ulti/status/1344512084743172100
I'm an instinctively CYNICAL person. My default setting is to assume that humans act from their own self-interest EVEN when their actions contribute to the greater good. When interacting with others, I'm always seeking to detect or understand their underlying motives.
To others, this can seem like a shitty way to operate, and it CERTAINLY means I'm not everyone's go-to person for happy funtime vibes. But I'd argue strongly that this approach has helped me a lot, both personally & professionally, to maintain a positive outlook toward humanity.
When you manage your expectations for human behavior, it's an awesome & pleasant surprise when folks do things which go beyond themselves. Also, and perhaps more importantly for surviving a year like 2020, you're much less surprised & disappointed when people act like dickheads.
Expecting raw self-interest from folks also provides a platform for creating empathy & compromise when folks are AUTHENTIC about their motives, their challenges & needs or shortcomings.
https://twitter.com/hillarydixler/status/1340744947205459968
Expecting the worst of humans has been extremely USEFUL for my career in recreational sports. Assuming the worst from all participants, staff & officials has prepared me for creating policies & systems for mitigation and mentally prepared me for the inevitable conduct issues.
This outlook on human behavior also informs me on why hosting organized ultimate during the pandemic is virtually impossible. You can implement every safety protocols possible, but you can't prevent every single human involved from doing something awful.
https://twitter.com/being_ulti/status/1344319257073639426
Ultimate as a sport faces enough challenges in managing and eliminating toxic behavior BEFORE the pandemic. Combining that typical toxic undercurrent with the clear & present threats of an exploding pandemic is understandably a tough ask for disc orgs to tackle.
So WHY share this? Many of my incoming HOT TAKES address the governance of ultimate, or American sports more broadly. Lots of governance is deciding WHOSE interests we serve and why. Understanding the motives & interests in your community is foundational for effective governance.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
