The Road to Hell is Paved With Shitstorms

“The road to hell is paved with good intentions”. That‘s got to be one of the best sayings of all time. It‘s always been one of my favourites anyway. Maybe because it has that perfect mix of cynicism (British), humour (British) and baseless pessimism (German) that lives inherently in me, as a (newly) German Brit.

But whilst it is a damn good saying, I am turning my back on it. I have sworn to myself never to say it, or even think it again. I have become increasingly convinced that those who succumb to its allures will drive us to our demise. And this is my attempt to convince you to join me.

A couple of years ago, I would have signed up to it. Wholeheartedly. I probably would have put it on a t-shirt. As somebody who has worked in and around the non-profit sector for over 10 years, I have seen a lot of good ideas, incredible people and outstanding outcomes. But I have also seen a lot of wastage, paper-pushers and very occasional big mistakes with serious consequences. 

I have, of course, played my own part in it. The idealist that starts their career at a charity does- not-an-idealist-stay-for-long. The lack of resources, lack of talent, lack of training opportunities, impossibility for long-term planning due to short-sighted funders and policies, and an inherently broken system mean that it is often very difficult to do really good work. That’s not to say that good work doesn’t happen, it’s just difficult. 

So I too, at times, have rolled my eyes at other do-gooders. And that’s ok. It’s important. Just because somebody wants to do good doesn’t mean that they do. And if they’re not doing good, especially if they are doing the opposite - harm - then they absolutely must be held accountable to their stakeholders, from their beneficiaries (as first priority) through to their funders. A constructive discourse can hopefully help them improve and change. Because nobody is perfect.

Nobody is perfect. Not even charity workers. Not even social entrepreneurs. Not even activists. Definitely not politicians. And definitely, definitely not priests. Some are more perfect than others, but everybody is going to make mistakes. 

Things go wrong. All the time. Humans are prone to misjudgments. Projects fail. Businesses go bankrupt. It happens. What is important, as such, is what came before and what comes after. It is important to establish whether the wrongdoing is a systemic issue or just a mistake. Has it happened before? What did the offender do to mitigate for it? How much negativity does the wrongdoing cause vs the good the activity has brought? What will be the effect of a negative reaction on the ‘good’ part? How has the offender responded to the wrongdoing and have they changed their behaviour, policy or strategy as a result? And what were the intentions of the offender in the first place? These are the questions we need to ask, unequivocally, before judging the actions of others.

Because, shitstorms. In these heady days of social media hegemony, shitstorms are everywhere. I love them as much as the next person. It’s thrilling to be out in a storm. And it can make you feel pretty damn good about yourself if you start one. The moral high-ground is a comforting place to be. And writing words in capitals is RIDICULOUSLY satisfying. 

But shitstorms can be incredibly damaging if directed falsely. So this, if anything, is a plea for restraint. Sometimes. 

Read the rest here.