One of the most popular ways
to derail
a constructive discussion
right now
is
the “But what about?”
argument.
I know COVID-19
is killing thousands of people
in the US
but what about
the flu?
It killed more people
last year.
I know our leader
is doing a crappy job
during this pandemic
but what about
X’s emails?
I know we should
be focusing on today’s crisis
but what about
when the world
goes back to normal?
Shouldn’t we be
preparing for that?
This is a hijack
of a current project
by another project
and often the purpose
of that hijack
is to ensure
NOTHING is done.
Which is pretty d@mn destructive.
Seth Godin
suggests
some possible responses.
“Perhaps the response is,
“you’re right,
that’s urgent,
let’s discuss it
after we fix the problem
we’re currently working on.”
Or maybe,
“we need a forum
to make real headway
on the topic you want to discuss,
but this isn’t it.””
If you are seeking
to make real change,
you WILL encounter
the “But what about?”
argument.
Expect to hear it.
Have a response prepared
for it.