Who fools you...a HR insight

The structure and function of nature (entire species diversity) is based on the simple law that ‘you can be fooled’ as you will often get lost to ‘deceptive appearances’ than verifying or validating the truth.

We all know our brain and so are our five sense organs most of the time fools us. The finer truth is that after knowing fully well about the above ‘truth’, still most of us get fooled and consciously gets deceived by appearance or what we see.

This is a big problem in human life. However, it is very much present in both animal and plant kingdom as well. The Batesian and Mullerian mimicry, camouflage, voice mimicry etc., are some of the examples for how every life form are liable to get fooled by others.

In corporate world, verification of truth and understanding of the facts are relatively poor. Conclusions and final judgments are often made based on what is seen than what is true.

The nature knows this law very well and that is how it has created both the poisonous coral snake and non poisonous scarlet king snake, look alike. Many plants and animals also have evolved in the same manner. On seeing the colour resemblance/similarity, the predators/prey might assume the scarlet king snake to be poisonous and coral snake to be non-poisonous.

Once the ‘resemblance/similarity’ is seen, it can influence us in both directions. Then our influence determines the direction and not the actual reason. This is how most people in different organizations live. When people verify/search reasons for their action/decisions, they would find hardly any reasons. But unfortunately they never care to understand the fact that it was purely due to how they got fooled by certain ‘imageries’ only had created such confusion. Verification is seldom seen among most people. The reason for people easily gets fooled and not verifying is, again due to some strong evolutionary reasons.

In nature, animals cannot afford to verify the facts in the beginning and then can take a wise decision. They have to take a decision first, only then can verify the facts. But in human life, especially in corporate world, why most people follow the evolutionary reasons than own human evolution?

Fear and uncertainty influence our brain a lot. Hence nothing on earth, man could first see without suspicion or doubt. A mind full off doubts always looks for evidence to support its doubt. This is the reason why we are all liable to be fooled by others. It is only our doubt, suspicion and fear makes us to get fooled by others and not our confidence.

If we develop healthy level of confidence, not only we will not get fooled by others but also our conclusions and judgments will be unbiased.

The corporate leaders must understand the above fact that blaming others as cheats and hence be suspicious will not solve the problem. Develop confidence and progressively eliminate ‘unhealthy fear’.

Do not carry the relics of evolution when it is not required. Learn to develop confidence, eliminate fear, learn to verify than fall prey to perception and illusion. You will never get fooled by others and you also never have to blame and suspicious about others.

Dr S Ranganathan ClinRise Derma Pvt., Ltd., Chennai Desire, Dream and Destination – Social Entrepreneur Forum