When we discuss Power, it’s not always going to be about megalomaniac characters. In a lot of scenarios, we’re looking at people who may be trying to preserve their current positions in life or to defend themselves from harm. As a result of this, people partake in complicit behavior, reinforcing sometimes toxic and problematic behaviors in an effort to maintain their own stations. As one of my discussion club members put it: People with low power must function within the confines of the systems that polarize power. We talk about what this means for our cultures.

Here are the resources we used:

1. The Atlantic: “On the Nature of Complicity”
2. Vox: What do we do when the art we love was created by a monster?
3. Washburn University School of Law: Blowing the Whistle on Whistleblower Protection: A Tale of Reform Versus Power
4. The Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle The Master’s House by Audre Lorde
5. The Morning Show on Apple TV+

How are we Complicit

In today’s woke culture, everyone is complicit in one way or another. If you were to buy a book on Amazon on Mental Wellness, you are complicit in Amazon’s alleged exploitation of workers, not to mention capitalism, consumerism and the tirade of -isms. At a more relatable level, we are complicit when we understand the incorrect action at a specific point in time, yet we do not speak up when it happens.

There’s a number of reasons this can happen. The first is the “It’s just the way things are” argument. Complicity does not happen overnight, it is a result of small concessions made over a duration of time that reinforces bad habits and emboldens the perpetrator. Complicity with bad behavior goes in the face of morality and values but is more convenient because it requires you to do nothing most of the time. Other reasons can include fear of repercussions, a lacking in character, as well as even sometimes, an opportunity to use bad behavior as a way to gain personal advantage.

The articles I read pointed to examples of mass complicity with bad behavior in places like East Germany, the Republican Party and in corporate workplaces of the likes of Harvey Weinstein. Power as a force can be unrelenting in either forcing constant antagonism or demanding complicity. It is important, therefore, to be aware of our behaviors and to understand whether we are being complicit in areas we’d rather not be. The demand isn’t so much to fall victim to woke culture where we are paralyzed by the multiplicities in the ways in which we can be complicit, but rather to pick our battles and think about what is in our arsenal.

What can we do

Where complicity is in contrast to established principles and rules on what constitute good behavior, whistle-blowing is clear way to not be complicit. A good whistle-blowing regime aims to negate the potential repercussions on a good faith whistle-blower by providing financial compensation and certain legal protections. Bad faith whistle-blowers, of course, are not eligible for such treatments and can be punished under the law. The trickiness comes when enforcement is perceived as inconsistent and security is not assured.

Whistle-blowing is almost a life defining moment. For the next year and more, whistle-blowing takes up your time as you provide clarifications, defend your credibility, all while trying to rebuild your career. It’s a tall ask and it’s understandable that most people choose to remain complicit instead of taking on that burden. In fact, you have those who navigate the culture of complicity to build up their own power, exploiting dynamics and currying favor. This is Machiavellian but widespread among those who are smart and savvy.

As I mentioned above, the wise approach may very well lie in picking one’s battles. We should be cognizant enough to know when we are being complicit, building our awareness and knowledge by reading and engaging widely, but we should also focus our efforts on preventing harm. Going on moral crusades will only polarize those around us and may even backfire in attempts to address bad behavior. We need to be tactical in how we disengage from complicity.

This was a tricky topic for the group, but I think we matured quickly through the hour. The world is a messy place and we must deal with it as it is.