Attitude and Behavior--the Sequel

Regarding my statement that attitudes come from our id, I believe that we are all products of our choices.  As a man (or woman) eateth, so is he (she).  As a man (or woman) thinketh, so is he (she).  We all have our free agency or freedom of choice.  Our choices have either good or bad consequences.  However, in today’s society, many people do not accept the responsibility for bad choices.  They usually blame the bad consequences of their bad choices on someone else or something else.

Most of our political leaders never accept the responsibility of their poor choices, which is sad because our younger generation also follows those role models.  You see this poor display of behavior in our movies, the news, in Congress, and in our communities.  It took 50 years to go down this slippery slope to where we are today.  It may take another 50 years to reverse the trend.  But when and where do we start?

I think the best way for managers to teach employees always to assume responsibility and accountability is for managers themselves always taking full responsibility and accountability for everything they have been assigned and delegated to do.  Although our attitudes can be influenced from outside others, cultures, and events, our attitudes cannot be changed without our individual approval.  In other words, if I do not accept these outside influences, I will not consciously change my attitude or behavior.

Before and during World War II, I contend that people (both Germans and others throughout the world) did not change their attitudes, even with the help of Gestapo tactics, unless and until they accepted what was dished out and run through their minds and bodies.  To wit, we have a Hitler in our midst today as the leader of Iran (President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad).  He is making all of his threats and diatribe known to all of us, yet I have not changed my mind or attitude to agree with him in any way whatsoever.  However, I know many people (Americans also), who Bill O’Reilly calls “secular progressives,” that have accepted what Iranian President Ahmadinejad expounds and have adjusted their attitudes to align with his.

However, no matter how much he says, threatens, or coerces us on the world stage, I will never change my attitude, thinking, beliefs, values, or whatever to align with his.  Only if I accept what he says and does will my attitude ever change.  Therefore, I strongly believe that my attitude and our attitudes will not change when and until we each personally allow our attitudes to change.

Some people may feel that attitudes are what you show to others whether it is a true attitude felt on the inside or a feigned attitude displayed on the outside because of fear of losing a job, being kicked out of a meeting, being thrown into prison, being persecuted, being killed, or whatever.  On the other hand, I look at attitude only as true feelings felt on the inside and expressed as well on the exterior.  In other words, I do not believe attitude includes feigned attitudes.  In the latter case, it is just an act or behavior for survival.  I do not think behavior equals attitude.  I think a feigned attitude is more an external behavior, and attitudes and behaviors are not synonymous.

Hence, I think it all boils down to definition of terms.  If we have the same definition of terms, we can discuss something logically and sensibly.  If we do not, then when you talk about apples while I am thinking about oranges, we cannot come to any kind of agreement on anything—unless we are talking about fruits in general.  Hence, do you think that attitudes and behaviors are the same or are they different?

Remember back in 2006 when the Fox News newsman and cameraman (Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig, respectively) were kidnapped by members of the Holy Jihad Brigades, a previously unknown Palestinian terrorist group in Gaza?  Forced to convert to Islam at gunpoint, Centanni and Wiig were released after two weeks of captivity.  However, after their release, they reverted to their true selves and did not continue to uphold their feigned attitude of supporting and upholding Islamic beliefs.  Hence, I contend that the Isfasts (i.e., Islamo-fascists) had affected their behavior (feigned as it was) but never were their attitudes affected because they did not allow themselves to change their true internal attitudes.

On the other hand, remember the American guy (John Walker Lindh) who joined the Taliban and actually fought against the coalition forces in Afghanistan?  He experienced a true change of his mind, heart, beliefs, and feelings toward the Muslim religion as expounded by the Isfasts.  He was a true convert to Islam.  This guy was not feigning his attitude; hence, his behavior of fighting our troops was in line with his attitude.  Therefore, I believe, Johnny “Taliban” Walker was a true traitor to our country.

I present these two examples to illustrate my belief that attitude and behavior are not the same and that attitude cannot be authentically changed unless we allow our current attitude to be changed.  However, I do not mean to say that a person’s behavior cannot be changed while under threat of death, decapitation, or torture.

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