Tears for humanity
04/01/2003
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When the tears welled and trickled from her beautiful dark eyes, it was clear that she was ashamed.
The CleanRooms East 2003 attendee did not contest a press release on an event that mimicked another CleanRooms conference and exhibition that is held in her homeland, China.
"This makes me sad, but it is true," she says, wiping away tears. "This happens a lot in China, but it's the government that does this. Chinese people are not like this."
Another attendee, an American woman, had a similar experience during a rather difficult breakfast meeting with European clients. "The meeting was dominated with anti-American and anti-war conversations," she says. "I had to choke my breakfast down. I told them, 'we're all not like that'."
Sadly, the experiences of two very different women validated similar stereotypes, but their collective wisdom and honesty tell a story.
It's a story about how stereotypes are far more dangerous than truthful, and how easily trite expressions allow us to turn a blind eye toward the commonality of our vast humanity.
Through these times of uncertainty, as industry and business continue to go global, it is imperative to suppress, perhaps, the tendency to form stereotypes and not only speak up for ourselves, but for each other.
There is a fine line between supporting a cause and dehumanized thinking, and the challenge is not to cross it; for when it is all said and done, the onus of picking up the pieces will fall on each of us.
Mark A. DeSorbo
Associate Editor