There’s a great quote from history, although we’re not really sure who said it. It goes like this: “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.”
Some say it was Mark Twain.
Others say Abraham Lincoln.
Still others say that neither actually said it, but that it parallels a passage from the book of Proverbs in the Bible (Proverbs 17:28, to be exact).
Regardless of where it comes from, it’s good advice — and something that people with high emotional intelligence take to heart.
It’s also something that a United Airlines pilot reportedly ought to have kept in mind before posting recently on social media.
“They are all a dime a dozen!!!”
Let’s set the stage. United Airlines flight attendants have gone without an updated contract for the past several years. Their union negotiated a deal with United — a pay raise of almost 27 percent, along with retroactive pay that would have averaged $21,500 per flight attendant — only to have the union membership vote overwhelmingly not to ratify it.
It’s quite possible that this was a shortsighted move, that this was the best deal the union was going to get, and that union members might regret not having taken it down the road.
But, I don’t know that for sure, so you’ll notice that I’m couching my language here — which is something the United Airlines pilot allegedly did not do.
Instead, according to media reports, screenshots, and even a Change.org petition calling for him to be disciplined, the pilot chimed in on a social media report of the contract rejection with the following:
Love it, now they will get nothing.
They all want pilot pay!!! [United Airlines CEO Scott] Kirby should go to a local university where they are all a dime a dozen!!!
“Oh, he needs a potty break?”
I suppose the ill-advisedness of this is clear, but let’s break it down into three key themes:
Schadenfreude: It’s unclear how any airline pilot would benefit from the flight attendants not getting a contract. The sentiment here is more “joy derived from the misfortune of others.”
Defensiveness and jealousy: Some flight attendants replied to the part about “want[ing] pilot pay” by saying they understand that it takes a lot longer to be qualified as a commercial pilot than it does to become a flight attendant, and they don’t expect pay parity.
Devaluing colleagues: Those last seven words are a killer when it comes to leadership. Imagine how the flight attendants on this pilot’s next flight — or any flight, for that matter — will react.
Actually, we don’t have to imagine, assuming some of the people who commented on his social media post as flight attendants actually are who they claim to be:
“Hopefully, he brings his food from home.”
“Just like that, I forgot to cook his meal. Oh, he needs a potty break? Sorry, service is running late, and the entire cabin is in line to use the [forward] lavatory. Maybe later.”
And, after the pilot apparently removed or hid the comment: “Aww, Mr. Captain deleted his comment. Guess he couldn’t handle the smoke! I hope no one ever warms his bread up ever again.”
Does this need to be said by me now?
There are 28,000 United Airlines flight attendants, and while we live in a divided time, it’s hard to imagine a significant divergence of opinion on this one.
Just under 2,800 people signed a petition asking United Airlines to investigate the comment and “address [it] in accordance with our disciplinary procedures.”
I asked both United Airlines and the flight attendants’ union for comment on this story. United declined, and I have yet to hear back from the union. Most airline industry media experts seem to think it’s unlikely the pilot would face any real disciplinary risk.
That said, as Matthew Klint pointed out on Live and Let’s Fly, if the pilot has “lost his credibility with the flight crews he must work with” to the point that it becomes “fair to wonder whether he can safely work with flight attendants in case of an emergency,” that might be something else for United to consider.
For now, I’m left thinking about what comedian Craig Ferguson called the three-question rule — which my colleague and friend Justin Bariso often cites in his work.
In short, before saying just about anything, you’re encouraged to ask yourself three questions:
Does this need to be said?
Does this need to be said by me?
Does this need to be said by me now?
Let’s apply that here:
Um, no.
And … no.
Also, no.
No matter where that original quote about staying silent comes from, it’s pretty clear that this is all a lesson in what not to do.
7 other things worth knowing
The Trump administration expects a government shutdown will start Wednesday, but was scheduled to meet with Democrats Monday to try to find a settlement. Previously, the White House had said it would refuse to negotiate and instead just place all the blame on the other side. Trump “read all the sh*t they’re asking for,” a senior White House official told Reuters over the weekend, and he said, ‘on second thought, go f*ck yourself.’” (USA Today, Politico)
With a potential shutdown looming, thousands of workers could be furloughed and operations could be disrupted at many agencies. But not all government programs would come to a halt. Here is how some government functions would be affected. (NYT)
Almost every senior U.S. military leader -- hundreds of generals and admirals -- will gather for an unprecedented in-person meeting in Virginia today with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Trump now says he plans to attend: “I want to tell the generals that we love them, they’re cherished leaders, to be strong, be tough and be smart and be compassionate.” (Reuters)
Dozens of federal agents took individuals into custody in Chicago, and a top U.S. Border Patrol official told a reporter that they were choosing who to arrest in part based on “how they look.” Full quote from commander Gregory Bovino to a white, middle-aged, male reporter: “There’s many different factors that go into something like that. It would be agent experience, intelligence that indicates there’s illegal aliens in a particular place or location. Then, obviously, the particular characteristics of an individual, how they look. How do they look compared to, say, you?” (Chicago Sun-Times)
The new tax law will allow millions more Americans to pay nothing in federal income tax. We are going to show you some plausible paths to zero, using examples of a married couple earning $100,000 with two children; a single waitress with one child; and a senior couple with several sources of income. (WSJ)
If her supporters are to be believed, actress Tilly Norwood is on the verge of Hollywood superstardom. The London-based girl-next-door starlet, they say, is preparing to sign with a major talent agency. But Tilly is manufactured by artificial intelligence, and so is completely fake. She, or it, is poised to be the first AI actress to be signed by a real-life talent agency that normally works with humans, according to Tilly’s creator. (The Telegraph)
How Finland continues its reign as the happiest country on Earth. (CBS News)
Thanks for reading. Photo by Blake Guidry on Unsplash. I wrote about some of this before at Inc.com. See you in the comments.
There’s another 3 question rule I’ve sought to practice since first learning of it in the early ‘70’s:
Is it kind?
Is it necessary?
Is it true?
Over time, this rule has rewired my thinking. I speak less and listen more, mostly thanks to the first rule.
If you've ever been to a Rotary Club meeting, chances are they began or ended with "The Four Way Test," which has been part of Rotary since 1932.
"Of the things I think, do, and say:
1. Is it the truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?"
Our world could use to consider this more often....