Westserve

What we do in private...

This issue pops up periodically, and it’s one that annoys me no end.

It’s the idea that what we do ‘in private’ has no impact on our work or ‘public’ life.
Rubbish.

Take the example in yesterdays Sydney Morning Herald
I don’t know the man, and I don’t really understand all that his job entails, but that he has the gall to say that his ‘private’ activities should have no effect on his day job and the way people perceive him is just plain stupid.

Or take the current furore over high profile sports people binge drinking on their ‘private’ time, then assaulting people. Interestingly, many are saying that that does matter, and that their private lives should be exemplary because they are role models to younger Australians. But then, many are also saying that the current Australian Olympic swimmer facing this situation should keep his spot on the Olympic team even though he is facing very serious criminal charges.
You can’t have it both ways boys.

Who we are is, well, who we are. I would hope that who I am right here in my lounge room typing on my computer is the same person that my church members see and relate to on Sundays and other times. I would hope that I talk and act ‘in private’ in pretty much the same way I do in public.
I’m not suggesting for a moment that I live an exemplary life, but I’m merely expressing puzzlement at how society is comfortable with the idea that prominent members can be openly two-faced, and yet we not only ignore it, we often defend it!

Of course, there’s a whole other issue in there about the lack of privacy in our lives these days, and how we can be observed and listened to in one way or another almost 24/7. But that’s another blog for another day.

Very strange, and very disturbing.