We’ve all probably heard the
phrase, “never judge a book by its cover”. Although a title or main idea might
give us a rough idea about something, the details that goes with it can give us
an entirely different image. On a TED talk “The Danger of a Single Story”,
novelist Chimamanda Adichie brought up some excellent points about the
importance and need of understanding different sources and views. According to
Adichie, “a single story creates stereotypes”. Though these stereotypes might
be true, they are usually “incomplete” information (2009). Throughout the talk,
Adichie shared her personal experiences to explain her reasoning. Several
people: such as her college roommate initially saw Adichie based on common
African stereotypes (poor, lack of education, interest in tribal music, etc.). After
taking time to know who Adichie really was, they were shocked by the fact that
she was from a middle-class family and spoke English fluently due to English
being the official language of Nigeria.
As a
leader, it is critical to view and understand different point-of-views. By
understanding what others think, it expands our knowledge of the main idea
(more information): hence resulting in effective communication and decision
making (Nosich, 2012). As an example, consider the pit bull controversy. Some
people may consider these species to be blood-hungry and violent due to their
genetics, and therefore believe that all pit bulls are to be banned from
household ownership. Another group of people may fully disagree with this answer
and argue that violent behaviors of pit bulls result from bad training and
handling of the owners, and therefore should not be banned. Though leaders may
have great ideas, it is always important for them to gather as much information
and consider different points-of-view to avoid any complications. A successful
leader considers the ideas of others and implement them to their reasoning and
decisions.
Though Adichie’s TED talk informed
us about the importance of having details, I was also able to make a personal connection
to her experience. I happen to be half-Japanese and I’ve came across numerous
stereotypical comments throughout my life. The most common is in relation to anime,
or Japanese animation (a popular modern pop culture). I often have people ask
me if I watch anime, however in more extreme cases, I’ve came across people who
asked me if the way young women were in anime is how most Japanese women really
are. According to a research, there were evidence of stereotypes found in
voices in anime. Comparing to male characters, females often had much more high-pitched,
lengthy, and breathy voices (Teshigawara, 2004). In addition, Japan uses many onomatopoeic
words. Though they are not gender specific, the use is more common in women to supposedly
give them a more “cute demeanor” (Thy, 2015).
Considering
my similar personal experiences, I realized that there’s likely a hidden
message delivered through Adichie’s expression and tone. Personally, I believe
that Adichie is spreading awareness that there’s a need for people to think in
more than one direction since assumptions can lead to personal issues. Like
myself, perhaps Adichie felt offended when people judged her based on common stereotypes.
While sharing her experience, she spoke in a serious tone, and often raised her
eyebrows when she mentioned the parts that perhaps made her offended (such as
the wording of the charity announcement from her flight). Although she likely
felt offended by the stereotypes, she also ensured her audience that she wasn’t
fully angry. To avoid the miscommunication, she made a few laughs about her
experience: such as smiling when she mentioned Mariah Carey in response to the
tribal music comment. This move was beneficial for her speech since too much aggression
can threaten the audience’s self-esteem (McKay, Davis, & Fanning, 2009).
References:
McKay,
M., Davis, M., & Fanning, P. (2009). Messages: The Communication Skills
Book. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications.
Noisch,
G. D. (2012). Learning To Think Things Through: A Guide to Critical Thinking
Across the Curriculum. Boston: Peason Education.
Teshigawara,
M. (2004). Voices in japanese animation: A phonetic study of vocal
stereotypes of heroes and villains in japanese culture. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/docview/305104747?accountid=27203
Thy,
B. (2015). Why do the Japanese Sound So Cute When They’re Talking?. Japan Info.
Retrieved from http://jpninfo.com/21084
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