Challenging ourselves, and our assumptions

If you study how Einstein developed his special theory of relativity you’ll quickly notice something odd. The empirical data it’s based on was discovered 18 years before he published his revolutionary work. For all those years, smart people worked hard to fit the data into what they’d been taught, without success. Einstein instead asked, “how can we look at the world differently to explain the data?” A simple shift in perspective. With profound consequences.

Challenging ourselves to see the world clearly is important in everything we do. But it’s nowhere more important than in leading a representative democracy. Because the simplest public decisions involve the interests of thousands of people.

No one elected can truly represent the views of all his or her constituents. All anyone can do is use their best judgment, their compassion and their empathy, to inform their decision-making. And hope the results do more good than harm, while remaining ready to change course.

But what defines “good?” There are as many opinions about that as there are people. Unlike the private sector, where the overriding goal is making money, the public sector has no single goal. Which is more valuable, another park, more housing or better roads and mass transit? Ask a thousand people and get a thousand answers.

But here’s something I think works: Which choice would make the most people want to be part of our community?

Bill Gates did not get to be the richest man in the world by personally writing and selling a few copies of Windows to a handful of wealthy people. He did it by connecting thousands of employees, vendors and others to millions of people who could benefit from having access to computing power.

In the process everyone’s lives were enriched. For that to happen, those individuals all needed each other. Communalism and individualism can be mutually re-enforcing, benefiting everyone.

The need for personal safety is commonly given as the reason people form communities and governments. Living among others helps shield us from life’s challenges. But thriving, desirable communities can offer much more. They let people lead better, fuller lives by interacting with each other. Consequently, decisions which make more people want to live in a community make its residents both safer and better off.

Considering the views of “outsiders” seems counter-intuitive. But electeds owe their constituents more than just a good set of ears. They owe them a duty to exercise good judgement. Even if that means going against local perspectives. Because community members want their future secured as part of a larger world. Voters fire electeds who do too many things they dislike. But they also fire ones who avoid doing things voters may dislike but which risk the community’s future.

A decade ago the San Carlos Elementary School District Board of Trustees had to redraw its attendance area boundaries. That’s guaranteed to get a lot of people angry regardless of the details. One man excoriated the board for its decision. He was not satisfied with the explanations he was given. But a year later something amazing happened. He apologized for his earlier remarks. Acknowledging his family was better off because of the change.

Part of leadership is figuring out what path to take. That involves a lot of listening.

Another part is selling choices to the community. That involves a lot of talking.

But an equally important part is doing what needs to be done to adapt the community to a changing world.

That requires courage.

Challenge your assumptions. Challenge people who tell you something can’t be done, or it’ll take too long or cost too much. Your expert advisors will always know more than you do. But remember Einstein: Simply accepting what you’ve been taught can constrain thinking, preventing problems from being solved.

And consider making choices based on which ones make the most people want to live in San Carlos. Because just as individuals are better off being part of a larger community, San Carlos benefits from being part of the larger region and the world, open to outside viewpoints and people.

Mark Olbert recently retired from the San Carlos City Council, after serving on it and the San Carlos Elementary School District Board of Trustees for 19 years.