Whistleblowers & Willful Blindness: Does the Truth Always Set Us Free?
Greek mythology tells the dire tale of the priestess Cassandra. Her beauty earned her the gift of prophecy from Apollo, but when she rejected his advances, she was cursed so that no one would believe her. She predicted the infamous Greek tragedy of the Trojan horse, but nobody listened, and she had to watch helplessly as the Trojans fell to the Greeks. Though a myth, Cassandra's story resonates with modern truth-tellers who face disbelief and rejection. Her story embodies the frustration we feel when others ignore our truths. Cassandra’s plight prompts us to question whether truth sets us free or if it is, in fact, a burden.
Does the Truth Really Set Us Free?
Jesus told a skeptical crowd, “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32). He invited them to step into a new way of living, from darkness into light, and from legalistic bondage into freedom. However, Jesus’ promise of freedom did not guarantee bliss or safety. Following his death and resurrection, his followers faced extreme persecution and, for many, death. So, what kind of freedom did the truth bring?
The truth can be a heavy burden. It can feel uncomfortable and demand action, often confronting us with troubling realities. When new, challenging truths emerge, we might find ourselves asking, “Why isn’t anyone doing anything about this?” or “What am I supposed to do about this?” The revelation of truth is complex and can leave us questioning if it truly sets us free.
Historically, there are countless examples where revealing uncomfortable truths resulted in little to no change:
Sleep deprivation: Research shows that 24 hours without sleep or a week of only four to five hours per night impairs individuals similarly to a 0.1% blood alcohol level, exceeding legal driving limits. Despite this, some professions demand working with a sleep deficit.
Institutionalized hazing: There are cultures where hazing is endorsed as an initiation rite (military, fire departments, police force), despite research showing that it can serve as a cover for bullying and harassment. Hazing has proven to be ineffective for team building, and breeds mistrust, apathy and alienation.
Perimenopause: Women often endure up to 10 years of symptoms before menopause, yet the medical community frequently dismisses these symptoms, expecting women to tolerate them as “normal.” Research on treatment options remains limited, leaving women to cope with hot flashes, difficulty sleeping, brain fog, mood swings, and night sweats with inadequate support.
Tanning beds: Widespread social support for looking tan has reinforced the use of tanning beds despite their use and sun lamps drastically increasing one’s chances of cancer.
The list could go on, and it includes both harmful actions, as well as natural phenomena that have detrimental effects. So why are so many problems that are exposed met with no response? On the surface it may look like a lack of care, but it’s more complex than that. There are a number of factors that delay the exposure of truth and that challenge decision-making.
Why People Don’t Speak Out
We may naively believe that if we “see something, say something,” but many who do speak out suffer Cassandra’s fate. Whistleblowers are often seen as traitors or exaggerators in organizations that value loyalty over integrity. They face denial, defensiveness, dismissal, character assassination, work overload, or job loss. According to a groundbreaking study on “employee silence,” employees often hesitate to speak out due to a sense of powerlessness, especially regarding a supervisor’s competence, organizational processes, or pay issues.
Ironically, whistleblowers are often deeply committed to their organizations, motivated by a misalignment with the company’s higher values. Organizations should favor integrity over loyalty, welcoming divergent opinions to generate creative solutions to problems.
Apart from the mental, social, and financial risks associated with speaking out, some are discouraged from saying anything because they assume that if something truly awful was happening, that someone would have done something about it. This psychological trap is called the bystander effect, and many fall victim to this when there are others witnessing the same events. The status quo can lull us into the belief that everything is fine, when in reality, the broken system has conditioned people to believe this. The bystander effect, coupled with the fact that we are image conscious individuals, makes us highly susceptible to complacency in the face of harms. We care how we are perceived, so in many cases people stand by or even endorse an unfavourable experience before they would stand up to it alone and face the social consequences of being cast out.
Willful Blindness: The Duty to Know
Leaders’ responses to unfavourable truths significantly influence whether issues are addressed. “Willful blindness,” as described by Margaret Heffernan, occurs when those responsible for addressing problems choose not to see them. This can be due to the potential costs of addressing the issues, such as time, resources, and conflict.
So why don’t leaders act? Leaders often surround themselves with “yes” people, creating a blind spot to dissenting views. Distance from the day-to-day work and power dynamics can also obscure problems. If current circumstances are highly profitable, leaders may be inclined to turn a blind eye in pursuit of capital gains. Cognitive dissonance, where new truths challenge long-held beliefs, can make leaders resistant to change, especially when it requires the humility to admit you might have been wrong all along. Finally, many leaders are conflict-averse, preferring to maintain a false sense of peace rather than address issues head-on.
How the Truth Can Set Us Free
Despite the challenges, pursuing and revealing the truth is essential. My own curiosity has led me to probe dysfunctional systems and observe unhelpful patterns. I began as an optimist, believing that people would do something if they only knew the truth, but understanding the hurdles of speaking out, and the cognitive deficiencies that makes decision-makers willfully blind, my eyes have been opened. People disappoint, and systems double-down, and while this has had its impact on me, I would pursue and reveal the truth every time.
When Jesus promised that the truth sets us free, he spoke to a freedom from the power of sin in our lives. When we harbour lies, or perpetuate toxic cultures, or turn a blind eye to patterns of harm, we become burdened and weighed down. Exposing the truth doesn’t promise a smooth path, but it does bring freedom in its purest form.
We often don’t seek the truth; it finds us. We all have the capacity to be Cassandras, speaking up and challenging harmful patterns. For sustained change in broken systems, people must speak out, and leaders must welcome divergent viewpoints.
Practical Steps for Leaders and Truth-Tellers
What Leaders Can Do
Invite Divergent Opinions: Encourage feedback by seeking out different perspectives. For example, when presenting an idea, don’t conclude the meeting until you’ve heard at least three potential issues or overlooked areas. Also, when inviting feedback, don’t assume that if you’re not experiencing something that it isn’t true.
Embrace Conflict: View conflict as an opportunity to learn and improve systems, and respond to concerns promptly.
Create Margin: Ensure your workload allows time to address emerging concerns effectively. If you find yourself running on fumes, you may be tempted to turn a blind eye to unfavourable reports because you wouldn’t have the time to deal with it.
Foster Curiosity: Regularly question assumptions and seek out new perspectives to avoid complacency. Ask yourself, “What is really happening here? Is this the best way to do this? Am I missing something?”
Advice for Truth-Tellers
Concerns are not Gossip: Bringing the truth to light is not sinful and it’s not gossip, it’s the very opposite. Be wary of people in positions of power who characterize it as such. (More on this: Let Them Speak: The Fear of Gossip that Silences)
Report Suspected Abuse: In cases of suspected abuse or neglect of minors, report to the appropriate authorities.
Seek Support: Find a community of trusted individuals to support you through the process of bringing uncomfortable truths to light.
Understand the Costs: Be aware of the potential personal costs of speaking out, but recognize the importance of revealing the truth.
In a world where truth is often met with resistance, the courage to speak out is more critical than ever. Let us commit to being truth-tellers and leaders who value integrity, creating a world where truth not only sets us free but also empowers us to create lasting, positive change.
Stay curious,
Jodi
More resources:
Willful Blindness: Why We Ignore the Obvious at Our Peril by Margaret Heffernan
Something’s Not Right: Decoding the Hidden Tactics of Abuse - and Freeing Yourself from its Power by Wade Mullen