What Trump and Hong Kong’s Democratic Party can teach us about the risks of instant reaction
Alice Wu says in an age when nuanced responses are hard to come by and politicians are often blinded by biases, accountability is the only route to credibility and trust
As a general rule, responses should be measured, governed by the constraints of time and information. Thus, we can reasonably expect those holding high office or playing important roles in society to be considerate, and use nuanced words and phrases, having weighed the available facts against the potential risks of harming the common good.
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Reactions, on the other hand, are raw, off-the-cuff, and from the gut, not the head, and that’s territory for dangerous lapses in judgment. Reactions aren’t necessarily “bad” – they are crucial in revealing important details about their owners. But most of us understand that this is not the ideal way to reach conclusions.