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February 21, 2023 at 12:53 PM
At a recent consulting gig, an audience member noted that nonfungible token prices have collapsed, and asked if this was nothing more than a fad, which is now dead.
I replied that, while NFTs certainly experienced a classic bubble, the underlying technology is alive and well — and that adoption is expanding at a rapid pace. I then added, “Let’s remember that pioneers were shot with arrows, but the settlers who followed them built cities.”
My point was that those who are first don’t always succeed, but they are often followed by those who do.
My remark caused another member of the audience to raise her hand and say, “I don’t have a question, but I do have a comment. As someone of Indigenous descent in the U.S., I found your response hurtful.”
I immediately apologized for my insensitivity and the session continued.
Clearly, I didn’t need to use that analogy, and shame on me for not realizing that it was offensive. After thinking about it further, I realized there’s a different way I can get that point across, by saying “It’s the second mouse that gets the cheese.” I can make my point without the risk of offending anyone.
More than ever, we must be careful with our language. (Frankly, we always should have been.)
As advisors, we routinely find ourselves conversing with people we don’t know well — prospects, new clients in a first-time meeting, attendees at a seminar, and so on. We must realize that we might use a phrase that, despite our innocent intent, is offensive.
Compounding the challenge is the fact that word meanings change. When I was growing up, the word “gay” meant “happy.” Remember the Flintstones?
When you’re with the Flintstones
Have a yabba-dabba-doo time
A dabba-doo time
