So. I had lunch with a high school friend I hadn’t seen for over 25 years (and it was a lot of fun) and she mentioned one of the guys in our high school had produced the documentary “Darfur Now.”

It is a documentary about the atrocities in Darfur, the westernmost region of Sudan. It poses a fundamental question: How do you respond to an event such as a government-sponsored mass murder of part of a country’s civilian population?

The United Nations has estimated that by 2007, 200,000 people had been killed and 2.5 million displaced in Darfur.

The truly heartbreaking documentary takeaway is that “You see that kids really are just kids.” And there is an overwhelming sense of hopelessness.

In the movie, the official voice of the Sudanese government belongs to Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem Mohamad, Sudan’s ambassador to the United Nations, who scoffs at the notion of a genocidal campaign against the people of Darfur. The conflict is an internal matter, he insists, and has to do with the apportioning of scarce resources.

Sudan has refused to comply with the International Criminal Court’s recent arrest warrants for Ahmad Harun, Sudan’s minister of the interior, and Ali Kushayb, a leader of the Janjaweed militias, for crimes against humanity.

I guess I share all of this because in my own little world this is an unacceptable action against humanity.

But I honestly don’t know what to do about it.

Does America send troops?

Does America shirk responsibility and pass it along to UN?

Is it even our role to take care of this?

I wrestle with this. And I could argue both sides. In the end I land on, if we don’t do it who will? Sort of like if I see a crime happening across the street (like a child being beaten by thugs) and I have the power to do something and I don’t, am I not complicit to the crime?

Maybe more importantly to me as a person as I think about this:

How would I be able to go to sleep that night if I did nothing?

Darfur is a horrendous example of what is happening outside our borders but it makes you start thinking. Like. You wonder if things like the holocaust wouldn’t have happened if more people had stood up and done the right thing. In the end I guess we also have to wonder what we would have done in that situation. It is difficult when you talk about theoretical life versus real life. Unfortunately, Darfur is real life. The here and now.

Anyway. It is sometimes easy to ignore these types of things happening outside our borders.

Out of sight out of mind

It is very easy even in the age of YouTube and cellular images to just not see what is happening elsewhere.

Because we have our own problems.

Recession. (And all the stuff that comes with it).

Our soldiers dying in Afghanistan (and do we want to send more somewhere else)

Maybe worse is ignorance. Where is Darfur? Does it really matter? And, of course, our overall perceptions of undeveloped African countries.

If we haven’t been there it is often easy to think of some of these places like horse and buggy countries. Absolutely some of these places have rural areas with spotty technology and living support (we forget how large some of these places are geographically because maps kind of lie with regard to size and stuff).

So. In the end I have no answers just questions. However. I do have a suggestion even more important than watching Darfur Now. A way to give yourself real perspective.

How can you gain perspective? Oh. It’s easy. Evil shows its price tag.

So. What is it about me and conflict?

First. I like contradictions in life. Smart and funny. Silent but says a lot. Liberal conservative. Cynical optimist. Things like that. Oh. And enlightened and conflict of course.

Contradictions are powerful. They create a chemistry ending in positive friction (when done right) and the fire for innovative thinking and thoughts. In general I believe they make life interesting.

Second. Conflict is part of life. Humans are neither passive nor stagnant. We move. We do. We think. Combine that fact with individuals are unique (although they may group together) and inevitably there is some conflict. It can simply be healthy competition or it can be staggeringly evil intended activity (i.e. there will be conflict because your point of view and thoughts shouldn’t exist and I am going to extinguish them).

Third. I believe conflict can be “managed”. Maybe call it competitive camaraderie. I call it enlightened conflict. I believe if people know more about stuff (I don’t really believe it needs a technical term) then conflict will be conducted with knowledge. Ignorance guides conflict toward evil interactions and knowledge guides conflict to responsible interactions.

Fourth. “Enlightened”. My focus in life, whether I have recognized it or not, has been overcoming ignorance. Fulfilling curiosity – either mine or anyone’s life I glance off of. But I would envision someone would argue I am fighting for some version of pluralism. Freedom to learn and think different thoughts. I love freedom of speech but it is less important to my thoughts globally. Possibly because I believe the less ignorant people are the more likely they are to speak out (therefore we will end up getting some form of freedom of speech as a byproduct of this whole thing).

In the end I imagine what I really care about are people’s actions. They can remain mute as far as I am concerned as long as their actions respect others opinions and lives and global responsibilities.

Summarizing my deal with conflict.

My theory is conflict will always exist (human nature). On all levels – from huge populations aligned for ‘whatever’ cause to an individual aligned behind a belief. And that is okay. The friction between beliefs and causes often creates the spark for something better. Yup. I am suggesting conflict and friction is good (I apologize to all the “why can’t we all get along” groups). Good conflict leads to positive friction and ideation and evolution of ideas. And I believe we should try to manage that conflict globally by developing kind of a ‘values’ rules of competition.

Simply it revolves around two thoughts

• Positive friction.
• Enlightened conflict.

The first is based on curiosity plus friction equals better ideas and thinking.

The second is lack of ignorance plus conflict equals respectful competition (and yes … unfortunately the competition can be war … but it is war understanding the repercussions on humanity and the toll it takes).

If I could do what I really want to do it would be to create a global program or educating a global generation of kids. I have written some fairly extensive thoughts on how to create a global program for kids (up to 8 years old) to help fight ignorance and create a more balanced global community with respect to individuals, their beliefs and the environment (it is not a math, grammar, etc. education program). Someday I hope to find someone who will ask me to implement it.

Until then? I will hope that I can impact the little corner of my world with positive friction for enlightened conflict.

“Enlighten the people, and tyranny and oppressions of body and mind will vanish like evil spirits at the dawn of day.”

Thomas Jefferson

===============

“It is easy to go down into hell; night and day, the gates of dark Death stand wide; but to climb back again, to retrace one’s steps to the upper air – there’s the rub, the task.”

Virgil

=============

So.

There’s nothing like great literature to make a point about life. And Virgil was a smart guy.

Simplistically … I think this is his way of saying it sure is easier going down than up.

With anything.

But Life, in general, is a slippery slope which always seems to tantalize you to take a step down. I imagine we all take a step, or 2 or 3, down in Life at some point.

But that’s the thing.

No matter how far down you go, even to what feels like hell, you will have the chance to climb back out.

Okay.

Maybe I should say … you have a high probability you will have a window of opportunity to get out of hell <it may be a small window unfortunately>.

Regardless of the size of the window it takes some strength of character to do it but it can be done. Not suggesting it is easy … but it can be done.

Life has a habit of testing us on occasion <often>. One could argue that’s what makes life interesting.

I would actually argue that Life makes it much much easier to step down than up. And I would also argue that Life never hesitates to show you the down stairwell and is less forthcoming on encouraging you to find the up stairwell.

Regardless.

We will all take the down stairwell at some point in Life … and at that point?

Uhm.

To climb back again, to retrace one’s steps to the upper air – there’s the rub, the task.

So.

I am a self proclaimed generalist. And proud of it.

But … I admit … it’s kind of tough in a world that has become quite enthralled with specialists. Or maybe better said “being really good at one thing.”

Unfortunately for me the one thing I am good at is a combination of a wide variety of things and experience. Some even contradictory things. (that is basically what a generalist is)

The hard thing about being a generalist is even if you give in to the specialist trappings (for example, “ok. ok. This is the one thing I am good at”) you get screwed because you aren’t a specialist. Therefore there will always be someone more of a “specialist” at what you are claiming (because you aren’t really a specialist). Whew. That circular discussion (doom loop) tired even me out.

I find that these are the types of discussions I get trapped in:

What’s the one industry you have the most experience in?

I can’t name one.

So why would we hire you if you don’t have depth of experience in our industry?

Because I am a generalist and I know how to apply learnings from “there” to “here”.

Don’t you think a specialist would be more effective?

I don’t know. I would imagine it depends on the situation and problem to be solved.

How come you never specialized in anything?

I don’t know. I guess I never had to.

Don’t you think specialists know what they want more than a generalist?

I don’t know. I am not a specialist. I would hate to put words in their mouth. But in general (as a generalist) I believe their choice has made them miss a lot in life.

Why would we choose a generalist over a specialist?

Breadth of experience and expertise? (I answer hopefully).

Don’t you feel at a disadvantage not having a specialty?

Well. I actually do have a specialty. That is transferring learning from seemingly unrelated situations to offer solutions to the situation I am posed with. But. I guess my only disadvantage is that no one wants to call that a specialty.

Ok. What is the one thing you are really good at?

(See last answer).

No, really?

Ok. At parties I can pretty much contribute to any conversation I am included in. Oh. And I am not unique … most generalists thrive anywhere they go conversation-wise.

We don’t have parties here.

Ok <note: I need a cocktail … strong one>.

So let me try this. You have worked at a lot of large advertising agencies so would you say your strength is advertising?

Well. That is tricky. I was in account service and strategy groups. We actually didn’t do a lot of advertising (although I do believe I can judge effective advertising) because other people did that. I actually know more about organizational behavior and product development and positioning companies in the marketplace and why people do things that they do than I do about advertising.

So. I guess the short answer is. No. I don’t believe my strength is in advertising.

But you have spent your career in ad agencies?

Yup. That is correct.

Well. I am confused.

Well. Interestingly so am I now. But. Let me tell you what I think.

I think you need a generalist for this role and frankly I think you want a generalist but you only know how to judge specialists.

Uh oh.

Generally speaking I don’t know what to say next.

Oh.

What I do know is whatever you ask me I bet I know enough about it to be able to give you a reasonable answer.

(Note: Unless you ask me why the sky is blue. I have always struggled with that one. But I do believe it has to do with light refracting off the nitrogen in the air or something like that).

So. I sign off for now … a specialist in generalism.