Do You Really Support Demographic Diversity? You are Being Tested in 2020

Brace yourself for an unpopular thought — if you ever sent a post, meme, or statement supporting women leaders, asked for more women leaders, or liked a post that someone else sent supporting women leadership, then why aren’t you celebrating Amy Coney Barrett as a potential Supreme Court nominee? Perhaps a caveat should be added — are you for demographic diversity if and only if they pass your ideological purity test?

I think this potential Supreme Court nominee offers a useful opening to a honest conversation about diversity. What do you mean by this term? What are the concrete goals you are targeting with initiatives? What are you doing when people look the part but don’t fit your ideological preference?

“If she’s being considered by a Republican administration, that means they think she’s going to be more conservative,” said Paolo Carozza, a Notre Dame law professor and director of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies. “But people are reducing Amy to an ideological category instead of taking her for who she is: an intelligent, thoughtful, open-minded person.” You don’t have to agree with her to arrive at the conclusion that she is exceptional at her job.

We find out what we value when confronted with outliers.

Dr. Todd B. Kashdan is a public speaker, psychologist, professor of psychology and senior scientist at the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being at George Mason University. His latest book is The upside of your dark side: Why being your whole self — not just your “good” self — drives success and fulfillment. For more, visit: toddkashdan.com