Being quick to criticise without adequate understanding has always been a human failing.
In the past, it took way more effort and time.
It was also much easier to avoid these constant complainers.
Today, all it takes is a few taps on a screen, keyboard, and/or mouse button, and their groans and gripes are all over the media feeds.
Minimum effort, maximum effect.
And, as with all things loud and popular, many more jump on the bandwagon.
The charge that the more savvy people are with social media, the more whiny they get isn't without some truth.
But it isn't all that they are.
There are also a lot of level-headed, thoughtful people out there. We just hear less from them, perhaps because they are actually taking the time to formulate their thoughts.
Give it a little time and you'll hear and appreciate their insights.
Systems are Designed. Their Flaws Can Also be Designed Away.
It's easy to understand why people in large systems do the things they do.
Because the systems are composed of so many working parts, a tiny error somewhere can eventually lead to a cascade of catastrophe.
Or at least that's what the fear is.
As a result, most of the people working within these systems are terrified that they are going to get punished for causing a malfunction, so they opt for a "better safe than sorry", "have all my bases covered" approach to everything.
This results in blanket policies, reactive strategies, and a general unwillingness to rock the boat, making changes only if absolutely necessary and only after mind-numbingly long periods of time.
Bureaucracy, red tape, infuriatingly inflexible gatekeepers, we've all met them.
And hate them.
And yet, they aren't there by accident. They are there by design.
Which means that they can also be designed away.
Hence the immense importance of thought leadership, safe spaces, and granting autonomy.
Sensationalism or Rationalism. There's a Time and Place for Both.
It's a lot easier to sensationalise and give skewed opinions than it is to rationalise and think an issue through before expounding on it.
One appeals to the emotions, the other to the intellect.
One is easy to access, the other takes time and effort.
This isn't to say that emotions aren't important, or that we should always take the most time-consuming, difficult path.
Of course they are, and of course we don't need to.
Yet, a lot of conflict and emotional upheaval can be avoided by knowing when to do what.
It's difficult to understate the importance of thought leadership, especially during a time when anti-intellectual sensationalism surrounds so many of our media outlets and social platforms.
Our contributions may seem small, but they do and will make a difference.