Not every story needs a villain

Sometimes we make decisions that have a negative impact on our community, on the people around us, on the group.

We might break a rule, or demote someone, or take a controversial stance on a shared opinion.

And when we do that, it looks like the immediate need is to degrade the object of our decision.

The rule is stupid, the person is incompetent, the shared opinion is naive.

We end up creating friction and eventually the fracture is inevitable.

We could instead own the decision. Be straightforward about it. Acknowledge that perhaps, this time, we might be seen as the bad guy, and still we believe we are doing something that make sense for the purpose we want to achieve.

It is a better way to frame what’s happening, one that goes beyond a false sense of righteousness that we too often use to shield our own responsibilities.

Not every story needs a villain.

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