James Damore Vs. The Google Archipelago
August 14, 2017
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I was distressed as well as saddened this calendar week to acquire that Google had decided to burn downward James Damore for his circulation of an internal memo that dared to enquiry some of the to a greater extent than extreme elements of the social justice warrior (SJW) inspired workplace equality/diversity movement.
Predictably, the contents of his memo receive got been grossly misrepresented past times the pop press as having been an anti-diversity tirade. If i takes the fourth dimension to really read what he wrote (and the total contents of the memo are reproduced below for posterity), it is slow to come across that this is absolutely not the case. The memo is instead a balanced as well as considered analysis of several critically of import issues that is aimed at stimulating a critical re-examination of some of the key assumptions/biases that may receive got crept into sure mainstream views. That is precisely what a learning organization (or person) should do - welcome various as well as open-minded perspectives.
Furthermore, most of what was written was non Damore's idle conjecture or speculation, but was rather an eloquent synthesis of a large trunk of contemporary academic piece of work spanning the fields of biology, evolutionary psychology, as well as clinical psychology. All of the claims made inwards Damore's memo are good supported past times actual studies/data, as well as are claims that many (although past times no way all) experts inwards the land would readily handle with. The influence of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Peterson inwards particular, who happens to live i of my favourate psychologists, is peculiarly recognizable inwards Damore's work.
Whether or non i agrees or disagrees with Damore/Peterson's perspective is really beside the betoken (although I hap to believe they are both 100% correct). What is most concerning is that Damore was non able to acquaint - fifty-fifty inwards a balanced as well as considered way - a valid perspective supported past times scientific evidence, without beingness misrepresented inwards the media; shamed into silence; as well as ultimately fired. Indeed, the growing laid on on costless oral communication as well as the variety of ideas both inside Google, as well as inwards gild at large, was cited past times Damore as beingness i the most pressing reasons why that memo needed to live written.
The outcome has proven Damore's concerns nearly creeping authoritarianism as well as intolerance good founded. The reply to the memo past times Google, the media, as well as the regressive left inwards general, represents goose egg less than the impending decease of costless speech, opened upwardly society, as well as rational fact-based discourse. It is how totalitarian societies are born (hence the thinly-veiled reference to 'Gulag Archipelago' inwards the championship - something I stole from Peterson's YouTube channel which I highly recommend i visits). And it is peculiarly concerning when it is coming from an organization that putatively stands for the dissemination of the world's information, which is increasingly tasked with the responsibleness of providing platforms for others to percentage as well as limited their ideas (Google has the powerfulness to block videos on YouTube for instance, or fifty-fifty closed this weblog down).
At the real least, Damore's document called for a considered discussion/debate inwards response, if non an outright give cheers you lot for the effort pose into it (I for i constitute the document value-add to my thinking). The thought that it called for summary dismissal as well as nationwide shaming inwards the media is a sad indictment on the contemporary nation Western liberal democracies as well as the direction they are heading inwards (and I hap to think, past times the way, that Trump's election; Brexit; as well as the relative rising of the difficult right inwards Europe, receive got a lot to do with a growing backlash against this pernicious trend).
3D thinking is oft needed, but is to a greater extent than oft than non lacking
In monastic tell to sympathize complex issues inwards the world, nuanced, multi-disciplinary thinking is oft required. That's hard. Most people receive got neither the fourth dimension nor the inclination to commit the liberate energy to properly agreement complex issues, so they instead rely on overly-simplified heuristics.
The overly-simplified heuristic/presumption that supports the outraged opposition to Damore's perspective is the thought that men as well as women are biologically precisely the same, with whatever differences beingness purely socially constructed. If that proposition were true, it would hateful that, on average, men as well as women had identical interests, strengths, weaknesses, as well as preferences, as well as consequently, that whatever observed differences inwards representation amongst a large plenty population (e.g. 75% of Google software engineers beingness men) must live the outcome of systemic discrimination.
Furthermore, anyone who dared to propose that the higher upwardly was non necessarily the instance or the total story - i.e. that at that spot may inwards fact live natural differences, on average, betwixt men as well as women, that contribute to differing degrees of representation inwards different contexts - is automatically assumed to live argument that 'men are ameliorate than women', with the perpetrator only using biological scientific discipline as a way of rationalising their sexism.
Both of these assumptions are deeply problematic. The get-go proposition is problematic because it is an supposition for which at that spot is a complete absence of whatever supporting scientific evidence. Indeed, virtually all the evidence from biological scientific discipline as well as psychology stand upwardly inwards clear refutation to the thought that men as well as women are identical, non to cite the mutual sense reflections i tin derive from everyday life. The thought that men as well as women are precisely the same, just similar the thought that all human beings receive got the same bird of innate intelligence, is goose egg to a greater extent than than wishful thinking (SJWs mightiness as good assay to fence that nosotros are all of the same superlative as well as as goodness looking as good - that would live nice/fair, but unfortunately it is land untrue).
Secondly, at no betoken did Damore's memo fence or fifty-fifty imply that natural gender differences meant that men were ameliorate than women - only that they may be different, on average, as well as so that across large populations, they may incline towards different occupational preferences. He was careful to emphasize that overall population-level differences implied goose egg nearly the individual, given the large bird of (again, scientifically documented) overlap betwixt the sexes.
The ground many assumed Damore was beingness sexist was because men are indeed over-represented inwards prestigious as well as high-paying Silicon Valley estimator programming jobs. However, that does non hateful that men are 'better' than women. As Damore points out, men are also over-represented inwards undesirable as well as unsafe jobs as well, as well as incur 93% of all workplace deaths. (Incidentally, where are the demands for gender equality inwards coal mining, structure work, as well as garbage collection, amongst the SJW demands for equality inwards select prestigious as well as high-paying professions? Where is the offend women endure only 7% of workplace fatalities, as well as the initiatives to select that upwardly to 50%? You demand to select the goodness with the bad inwards life).
A petty chip of mutual sense goes a long way as well. When you lot were at school, how many manful somebody vs. woman somebody estimator geeks did you lot know that spent their weekends tinkering with their motherboards, playing estimator games, as well as coding? Is it so non mutual sense to seem men to live over-represented inwards estimator programming professions? That someone tin acquire fired as well as publicly disgraced for pointing this out is extraordinary disturbing to say the least.
Fighting injustice
I know of few traits inwards life that are to a greater extent than admirable than the willingness to stand upwardly up for what is right at the run a endangerment of injury to one's livelihood as well as person, as well as peculiarly when it is beingness done non out of self-interest, but instead purely based on regulation as well as a want to grapple injustice. That is precisely what Damore has done, as well as it has terms him his job, non to cite the endurance of a completely unjust graphic symbol assassination inwards the media. It is a grave injustice, as well as it is something I disclose it saddening. Courage is inwards critically curt provide inwards our society, as well as Damore is deserving of both our admiration as well as our support.
We all receive got a moral duty, inwards my opinion, to do whatever nosotros tin to right whatever injustices nosotros perceive inwards the footing as well as receive got some powerfulness to influence. My weblog readership is silent pitifully small, but I believe I notwithstanding receive got an obligation to do whatever petty I tin to grapple inwards Damore's corner here.
You, honey reader, tin receive got to a greater extent than influence than you lot recollect as well. Most are familiar, I believe, with the thought of 'seven degrees of separation'. Well, that way a direct individual-to-individual word-of-mouth declaration needs only live won 7 consecutive times to compass every somebody inwards the world. It is everyone's responsibleness to grapple injustice as well as the toxification of our gild i battle at a time, as well as this number goes beyond Damore, as well as touches on the right to costless oral communication as well as costless gild which too many select for granted. We must non live complacent inwards the human face upwardly of threats to these values.
Implications for Google as a stock?
One should never over-react to the tidings of the twenty-four hours when assessing the impact of events on the long term valuation of stocks - peculiarly if the issues are emotionally charged. Google is as well as volition remain a powerful company, whether that is fair or non (and the irony of this post beingness written on Google's blogspot platform has non been lost on me). Nevertheless, if I was a Google shareholder (I am not), I would live somewhat concerned, as well as if I had whatever bird of influence, I would in all likelihood live calling for CEO Sundar Pichai's resignation.
Google is a high-multiple stock (c30x PE) that is, perhaps, inwards the 5-6th inning of its slow run of growth, as well as the companionship volition demand to remain innovative if it is to save its ascendancy inwards coming decades inwards the human face upwardly of technological alter as well as growth inwards artificial intelligence - peculiarly as paid search migrates to non-text formats including vocalisation recognition (e.g. Alexa), as well as faces growing disintermediation threats from platforms such as Amazon.
Google volition non live able to rising to the challenge if it fails to innovate, as well as conception requires an environs that is supportive of costless as well as various thinking, as well as a commitment to doing what is right as well as supported past times the evidence, rather than what is only pop or conventional. Pichai has demonstrated a commitment to none of these things with his determination to burn downward Damore (instead, he appears to live demonstrating a commitment to self-preservation higher upwardly all else).
Google appears to already live good on its way to becoming a lethargic, institutionalized bureaucracy subsumed past times politicking - the typical outcome of previously-successful companies that move complacent as well as fat. I imagine also that the determination to burn downward Damore volition live highly demoralizing for many of Google's most talented employees, who volition collectively live smart plenty to come across through the PR facade to the underlying truth of the world. I would non live surprised if this cultural rot results inwards Google losing its innovative border as well as missing the adjacent large technological bend inwards the road, inwards much the same way that Microsoft missed the displace to mobile.
Pichai's reply is to some extent understandable given the misguided external criticism Google has suffered for its lack of gender parity, but it is Pichai's responsibleness to do what is right to save the company's civilisation long term, instead of what is expedient for himself inwards the curt term. Google has sure strayed some distance from its famous 'Don't live Evil' injunction on many fronts, but it is at run a endangerment of becoming dumb as well as ineffectual over fourth dimension as well.
LT3000
Full memo below sourced from:
https://gizmodo.com/exclusive-heres-the-full-10-page-anti-diversity-screed-1797564320
Predictably, the contents of his memo receive got been grossly misrepresented past times the pop press as having been an anti-diversity tirade. If i takes the fourth dimension to really read what he wrote (and the total contents of the memo are reproduced below for posterity), it is slow to come across that this is absolutely not the case. The memo is instead a balanced as well as considered analysis of several critically of import issues that is aimed at stimulating a critical re-examination of some of the key assumptions/biases that may receive got crept into sure mainstream views. That is precisely what a learning organization (or person) should do - welcome various as well as open-minded perspectives.
Furthermore, most of what was written was non Damore's idle conjecture or speculation, but was rather an eloquent synthesis of a large trunk of contemporary academic piece of work spanning the fields of biology, evolutionary psychology, as well as clinical psychology. All of the claims made inwards Damore's memo are good supported past times actual studies/data, as well as are claims that many (although past times no way all) experts inwards the land would readily handle with. The influence of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan Peterson inwards particular, who happens to live i of my favourate psychologists, is peculiarly recognizable inwards Damore's work.
Whether or non i agrees or disagrees with Damore/Peterson's perspective is really beside the betoken (although I hap to believe they are both 100% correct). What is most concerning is that Damore was non able to acquaint - fifty-fifty inwards a balanced as well as considered way - a valid perspective supported past times scientific evidence, without beingness misrepresented inwards the media; shamed into silence; as well as ultimately fired. Indeed, the growing laid on on costless oral communication as well as the variety of ideas both inside Google, as well as inwards gild at large, was cited past times Damore as beingness i the most pressing reasons why that memo needed to live written.
The outcome has proven Damore's concerns nearly creeping authoritarianism as well as intolerance good founded. The reply to the memo past times Google, the media, as well as the regressive left inwards general, represents goose egg less than the impending decease of costless speech, opened upwardly society, as well as rational fact-based discourse. It is how totalitarian societies are born (hence the thinly-veiled reference to 'Gulag Archipelago' inwards the championship - something I stole from Peterson's YouTube channel which I highly recommend i visits). And it is peculiarly concerning when it is coming from an organization that putatively stands for the dissemination of the world's information, which is increasingly tasked with the responsibleness of providing platforms for others to percentage as well as limited their ideas (Google has the powerfulness to block videos on YouTube for instance, or fifty-fifty closed this weblog down).
At the real least, Damore's document called for a considered discussion/debate inwards response, if non an outright give cheers you lot for the effort pose into it (I for i constitute the document value-add to my thinking). The thought that it called for summary dismissal as well as nationwide shaming inwards the media is a sad indictment on the contemporary nation Western liberal democracies as well as the direction they are heading inwards (and I hap to think, past times the way, that Trump's election; Brexit; as well as the relative rising of the difficult right inwards Europe, receive got a lot to do with a growing backlash against this pernicious trend).
3D thinking is oft needed, but is to a greater extent than oft than non lacking
In monastic tell to sympathize complex issues inwards the world, nuanced, multi-disciplinary thinking is oft required. That's hard. Most people receive got neither the fourth dimension nor the inclination to commit the liberate energy to properly agreement complex issues, so they instead rely on overly-simplified heuristics.
The overly-simplified heuristic/presumption that supports the outraged opposition to Damore's perspective is the thought that men as well as women are biologically precisely the same, with whatever differences beingness purely socially constructed. If that proposition were true, it would hateful that, on average, men as well as women had identical interests, strengths, weaknesses, as well as preferences, as well as consequently, that whatever observed differences inwards representation amongst a large plenty population (e.g. 75% of Google software engineers beingness men) must live the outcome of systemic discrimination.
Furthermore, anyone who dared to propose that the higher upwardly was non necessarily the instance or the total story - i.e. that at that spot may inwards fact live natural differences, on average, betwixt men as well as women, that contribute to differing degrees of representation inwards different contexts - is automatically assumed to live argument that 'men are ameliorate than women', with the perpetrator only using biological scientific discipline as a way of rationalising their sexism.
Both of these assumptions are deeply problematic. The get-go proposition is problematic because it is an supposition for which at that spot is a complete absence of whatever supporting scientific evidence. Indeed, virtually all the evidence from biological scientific discipline as well as psychology stand upwardly inwards clear refutation to the thought that men as well as women are identical, non to cite the mutual sense reflections i tin derive from everyday life. The thought that men as well as women are precisely the same, just similar the thought that all human beings receive got the same bird of innate intelligence, is goose egg to a greater extent than than wishful thinking (SJWs mightiness as good assay to fence that nosotros are all of the same superlative as well as as goodness looking as good - that would live nice/fair, but unfortunately it is land untrue).
Secondly, at no betoken did Damore's memo fence or fifty-fifty imply that natural gender differences meant that men were ameliorate than women - only that they may be different, on average, as well as so that across large populations, they may incline towards different occupational preferences. He was careful to emphasize that overall population-level differences implied goose egg nearly the individual, given the large bird of (again, scientifically documented) overlap betwixt the sexes.
The ground many assumed Damore was beingness sexist was because men are indeed over-represented inwards prestigious as well as high-paying Silicon Valley estimator programming jobs. However, that does non hateful that men are 'better' than women. As Damore points out, men are also over-represented inwards undesirable as well as unsafe jobs as well, as well as incur 93% of all workplace deaths. (Incidentally, where are the demands for gender equality inwards coal mining, structure work, as well as garbage collection, amongst the SJW demands for equality inwards select prestigious as well as high-paying professions? Where is the offend women endure only 7% of workplace fatalities, as well as the initiatives to select that upwardly to 50%? You demand to select the goodness with the bad inwards life).
A petty chip of mutual sense goes a long way as well. When you lot were at school, how many manful somebody vs. woman somebody estimator geeks did you lot know that spent their weekends tinkering with their motherboards, playing estimator games, as well as coding? Is it so non mutual sense to seem men to live over-represented inwards estimator programming professions? That someone tin acquire fired as well as publicly disgraced for pointing this out is extraordinary disturbing to say the least.
Fighting injustice
I know of few traits inwards life that are to a greater extent than admirable than the willingness to stand upwardly up for what is right at the run a endangerment of injury to one's livelihood as well as person, as well as peculiarly when it is beingness done non out of self-interest, but instead purely based on regulation as well as a want to grapple injustice. That is precisely what Damore has done, as well as it has terms him his job, non to cite the endurance of a completely unjust graphic symbol assassination inwards the media. It is a grave injustice, as well as it is something I disclose it saddening. Courage is inwards critically curt provide inwards our society, as well as Damore is deserving of both our admiration as well as our support.
We all receive got a moral duty, inwards my opinion, to do whatever nosotros tin to right whatever injustices nosotros perceive inwards the footing as well as receive got some powerfulness to influence. My weblog readership is silent pitifully small, but I believe I notwithstanding receive got an obligation to do whatever petty I tin to grapple inwards Damore's corner here.
You, honey reader, tin receive got to a greater extent than influence than you lot recollect as well. Most are familiar, I believe, with the thought of 'seven degrees of separation'. Well, that way a direct individual-to-individual word-of-mouth declaration needs only live won 7 consecutive times to compass every somebody inwards the world. It is everyone's responsibleness to grapple injustice as well as the toxification of our gild i battle at a time, as well as this number goes beyond Damore, as well as touches on the right to costless oral communication as well as costless gild which too many select for granted. We must non live complacent inwards the human face upwardly of threats to these values.
Implications for Google as a stock?
One should never over-react to the tidings of the twenty-four hours when assessing the impact of events on the long term valuation of stocks - peculiarly if the issues are emotionally charged. Google is as well as volition remain a powerful company, whether that is fair or non (and the irony of this post beingness written on Google's blogspot platform has non been lost on me). Nevertheless, if I was a Google shareholder (I am not), I would live somewhat concerned, as well as if I had whatever bird of influence, I would in all likelihood live calling for CEO Sundar Pichai's resignation.
Google is a high-multiple stock (c30x PE) that is, perhaps, inwards the 5-6th inning of its slow run of growth, as well as the companionship volition demand to remain innovative if it is to save its ascendancy inwards coming decades inwards the human face upwardly of technological alter as well as growth inwards artificial intelligence - peculiarly as paid search migrates to non-text formats including vocalisation recognition (e.g. Alexa), as well as faces growing disintermediation threats from platforms such as Amazon.
Google volition non live able to rising to the challenge if it fails to innovate, as well as conception requires an environs that is supportive of costless as well as various thinking, as well as a commitment to doing what is right as well as supported past times the evidence, rather than what is only pop or conventional. Pichai has demonstrated a commitment to none of these things with his determination to burn downward Damore (instead, he appears to live demonstrating a commitment to self-preservation higher upwardly all else).
Google appears to already live good on its way to becoming a lethargic, institutionalized bureaucracy subsumed past times politicking - the typical outcome of previously-successful companies that move complacent as well as fat. I imagine also that the determination to burn downward Damore volition live highly demoralizing for many of Google's most talented employees, who volition collectively live smart plenty to come across through the PR facade to the underlying truth of the world. I would non live surprised if this cultural rot results inwards Google losing its innovative border as well as missing the adjacent large technological bend inwards the road, inwards much the same way that Microsoft missed the displace to mobile.
Pichai's reply is to some extent understandable given the misguided external criticism Google has suffered for its lack of gender parity, but it is Pichai's responsibleness to do what is right to save the company's civilisation long term, instead of what is expedient for himself inwards the curt term. Google has sure strayed some distance from its famous 'Don't live Evil' injunction on many fronts, but it is at run a endangerment of becoming dumb as well as ineffectual over fourth dimension as well.
LT3000
Full memo below sourced from:
https://gizmodo.com/exclusive-heres-the-full-10-page-anti-diversity-screed-1797564320
Reply to populace reply as well as misrepresentation
I value variety as well as inclusion, am non denying that sexism exists, as well as don’t endorse using stereotypes. When addressing the gap inwards representation inwards the population, nosotros demand to seem at population bird differences inwards distributions. If nosotros can’t receive got an honest word nearly this, as well as so nosotros tin never genuinely solve the problem. Psychological security is built on mutual abide by as well as acceptance, but unfortunately our civilisation of shaming as well as misrepresentation is disrespectful as well as unaccepting of anyone exterior its echo chamber. Despite what the populace reply seems to receive got been, I’ve gotten many personal messages from beau Googlers expressing their gratitude for bringing upwardly these real of import issues which they handle with but would never receive got the courage to say or defend because of our shaming civilisation as well as the possibility of beingness fired. This needs to change.TL:DR
- Google’s political bias has equated the liberty from criminal offense with psychological safety, but shaming into quiet is the antithesis of psychological safety.
- This silencing has created an ideological echo sleeping accommodation where some ideas are too sacred to live honestly discussed.
- The lack of word fosters the most extreme as well as authoritarian elements of this ideology.
- Extreme: all disparities inwards representation are due to oppression
- Authoritarian: nosotros should discriminate to right for this oppression
- Differences inwards distributions of traits betwixt men as well as women may inwards portion explicate why nosotros don’t receive got 50% representation of women inwards tech as well as leadership. Discrimination to compass equal representation is unfair, divisive, as well as bad for business.
Background [1]
People to a greater extent than oft than non receive got goodness intentions, but nosotros all receive got biases which are invisible to us. Thankfully, opened upwardly as well as honest word with those who disagree tin highlight our blind spots as well as aid us grow, which is why I wrote this document.[2] Google has several biases as well as honest word nearly these biases is beingness silenced past times the dominant ideology. What follows is past times no way the consummate story, but it’s a perspective that desperately needs to live told at Google.Google’s biases
At Google, nosotros beak so much nearly unconscious bias as it applies to race as well as gender, but nosotros rarely hash out our moral biases. Political orientation is really a outcome of deep moral preferences as well as thus biases. Considering that the overwhelming bulk of the social sciences, media, as well as Google lean left, nosotros should critically examine these prejudices.Left Biases
- Compassion for the weak
- Disparities are due to injustices
- Humans are inherently cooperative
- Change is goodness (unstable)
- Open
- Idealist
Right Biases
- Respect for the strong/authority
- Disparities are natural as well as just
- Humans are inherently competitive
- Change is unsafe (stable)
- Closed
- Pragmatic
Neither side is 100% right as well as both viewpoints are necessary for a performance gild or, inwards this case, company. A companionship too far to the right may live deadening to react, overly hierarchical, as well as untrusting of others. In contrast, a companionship too far to the left volition constantly live changing (deprecating much loved services), over diversify its interests (ignoring or beingness ashamed of its marrow business), as well as overly trust its employees as well as competitors.Only facts as well as ground tin shed low-cal on these biases, but when it comes to variety as well as inclusion, Google’s left bias has created a politically right monoculture that maintains its handle past times shaming dissenters into silence. This quiet removes whatever checks against encroaching extremist as well as authoritarian policies. For the ease of this document, I’ll concentrate on the extreme stance that all differences inwards outcome are due to differential handling as well as the authoritarian chemical element that’s required to really discriminate to create equal representation.Possible non-bias causes of the gender gap inwards tech [3]
At Google, we’re regularly told that implicit (unconscious) as well as explicit biases are belongings women dorsum inwards tech as well as leadership. Of course, men as well as women experience bias, tech, as well as the workplace differently as well as nosotros should live cognizant of this, but it’s far from the whole story.On average, men as well as women biologically differ inwards many ways. These differences aren’t just socially constructed because:
- They’re universal across human cultures
- They oft receive got clear biological causes as well as links to prenatal testosterone
- Biological males that were castrated at nascency as well as raised as females oft silent seat as well as deed similar males
- The underlying traits are highly heritable
- They’re precisely what nosotros would predict from an evolutionary psychology perspective
Note, I’m non maxim that all men differ from women inwards the next ways or that these differences are “just.” I’m simply stating that the distribution of preferences as well as abilities of men as well as women differ inwards portion due to biological causes as well as that these differences may explicate why nosotros don’t come across equal representation of women inwards tech as well as leadership. Many of these differences are little as well as there’s pregnant overlap betwixt men as well as women, so you lot can’t say anything nearly an private given these population bird distributions.Personality differences
Women, on average, receive got more:
- Openness directed towards feelings as well as aesthetics rather than ideas. Women to a greater extent than oft than non also receive got a stronger involvement inwards people rather than things, relative to men (also interpreted as empathizing vs. systemizing).
- These ii differences inwards portion explicate why women relatively prefer jobs inwards social or artistic areas. More men may similar coding because it requires systemizing as well as fifty-fifty inside SWEs, comparatively to a greater extent than women piece of work on front end end, which deals with both people as well as aesthetics.
- Extraversion expressed as gregariousness rather than assertiveness. Also, higher agreeableness.
- This leads to women to a greater extent than oft than non having a harder fourth dimension negotiating salary, shout out for for raises, speaking up, as well as leading. Note that these are just average differences as well as there’s overlap betwixt men as well as women, but this is seen exclusively as a women’s issue. This leads to exclusory programs similar Stretch as well as swaths of men without support.
- Neuroticism (higher anxiety, lower stress tolerance).This may contribute to the higher levels of anxiety women study on Googlegeist as well as to the lower number of women inwards high stress jobs.
Note that contrary to what a social constructionist would argue, enquiry suggests that “greater nation-level gender equality leads to psychological dissimilarity inwards men’s as well as women’s personality traits.” Because as “society becomes to a greater extent than prosperous as well as to a greater extent than egalitarian, innate dispositional differences betwixt men as well as women receive got to a greater extent than infinite to develop as well as the gap that exists betwixt men as well as women inwards their personality becomes wider.” We demand to halt assuming that gender gaps imply sexism.Men’s higher drive for status
We ever inquire why nosotros don’t come across women inwards top leadership positions, but nosotros never inquire why nosotros come across so many men inwards these jobs. These positions oft require long, stressful hours that may non live worth it if you lot want a balanced as well as fulfilling life.Status is the primary metric that men are judged on[4], pushing many men into these higher paying, less satisfying jobs for the status that they entail. Note, the same forces that atomic number 82 men into high pay/high stress jobs inwards tech as well as leadership drive men to select undesirable as well as unsafe jobs similar coal mining, garbage collection, as well as firefighting, as well as endure 93% of work-related deaths.Non-discriminatory ways to trim down the gender gap
Below I’ll move over some of the differences inwards distribution of traits betwixt men as well as women that I outlined inwards the previous department as well as propose ways to address them to increment women’s representation inwards tech as well as without resorting to discrimination. Google is already making strides inwards many of these areas, but I recollect it’s silent instructive to listing them:
- Women on average demo a higher involvement inwards people as well as men inwards things
- We tin brand software applied scientific discipline to a greater extent than people-oriented with twosome programming as well as to a greater extent than collaboration. Unfortunately, at that spot may live limits to how people-oriented sure roles as well as Google tin live as well as nosotros shouldn’t deceive ourselves or students into thinking otherwise (some of our programs to acquire woman somebody students into coding mightiness live doing this).
- Women on average are to a greater extent than cooperative
- Allow those exhibiting cooperative behaviour to thrive. Recent updates to Perf may live doing this to an extent, but maybe there’s to a greater extent than nosotros tin do. This doesn’t hateful that nosotros should take all competitiveness from Google. Competitiveness as well as self reliance tin live valuable traits as well as nosotros shouldn’t necessarily disadvantage those that receive got them, similar what’s been done inwards education. Women on average are to a greater extent than prone to anxiety. Make tech as well as leadership less stressful. Google already partly does this with its many stress reduction courses as well as benefits.
- Women on average seem for to a greater extent than work-life ease spell men receive got a higher drive for status on average
- Unfortunately, as long as tech as well as leadership remain high status, lucrative careers, men may disproportionately want to live inwards them. Allowing as well as genuinely endorsing (as portion of our culture) portion fourth dimension piece of work though tin continue to a greater extent than women inwards tech.
- The manful somebody gender role is currently inflexible
- Feminism has made peachy progress inwards freeing women from the woman somebody gender role, but men are silent real much tied to the manful somebody gender role. If we, as a society, allow men to live to a greater extent than “feminine,” as well as so the gender gap volition shrink, although in all likelihood because men volition leave of absence tech as well as leadership for traditionally feminine roles.
Philosophically, I don’t recollect nosotros should do arbitrary social applied scientific discipline of tech just to arrive appealing to equal portions of both men as well as women. For each of these changes, nosotros demand principles reasons for why it helps Google; that is, nosotros should live optimizing for Google—with Google’s variety beingness a element of that. For instance currently those trying to piece of work extra hours or select extra stress volition inevitably acquire ahead as well as if nosotros assay to alter that too much, it may receive got disastrous consequences. Also, when considering the costs as well as benefits, nosotros should continue inwards heed that Google’s funding is finite so its allotment is to a greater extent than zero-sum than is to a greater extent than oft than non acknowledged.
The Harm of Google’s biases
I strongly believe inwards gender as well as racial diversity, as well as I recollect nosotros should strive for more. However, to accomplish a to a greater extent than equal gender as well as race representation, Google has created several discriminatory practices:
- Programs, mentoring, as well as classes only for people with a sure gender or race [5]
- A high priority queue as well as special handling for “diversity” candidates
- Hiring practices which tin effectively lower the bar for “diversity” candidates past times decreasing the simulated negative rate
- Reconsidering whatever laid of people if it’s non “diverse” enough, but non showing that same scrutiny inwards the contrary direction (clear confirmation bias)
- Setting org bird OKRs for increased representation which tin incentivize illegal discrimination [6]
These practices are based on simulated assumptions generated past times our biases as well as tin really increment race as well as gender tensions. We’re told past times senior leadership that what we’re doing is both the morally as well as economically right affair to do, but without evidence this is just veiled left ideology[7] that tin irreparably damage Google.
Why we’re blind
We all receive got biases as well as utilization motivated reasoning to dismiss ideas that run counter to our internal values. Just as some on the Right deny scientific discipline that runs counter to the “God > humans > environment” hierarchy (e.g., development as well as climate change) the Left tends to deny scientific discipline concerning biological differences betwixt people (e.g., IQ[8] as well as sexual practice differences). Thankfully, climate scientists as well as evolutionary biologists to a greater extent than oft than non aren’t on the right. Unfortunately, the overwhelming bulk of humanities as well as social scientists acquire left (about 95%), which creates enormous confirmation bias, changes what’s beingness studied, as well as maintains myths similar social constructionism as well as the gender wage gap[9]. Google’s left leaning makes us blind to this bias as well as uncritical of its results, which we’re using to justify highly politicized programs.In improver to the Left’s affinity for those it sees as weak, humans are to a greater extent than oft than non biased towards protecting females. As mentioned before, this probable evolved because males are biologically disposable as well as because women are to a greater extent than oft than non to a greater extent than cooperative as well as areeable than men. We receive got extensive authorities as well as Google programs, fields of study, as well as legal as well as social norms to protect women, but when a homo complains nearly a gender number release [sic] affecting men, he’s labelled as a misogynist as well as whiner[10]. Nearly every deviation betwixt men as well as women is interpreted as a shape of women’s oppression. As with many things inwards life, gender differences are oft a instance of “grass beingness greener on the other side”; unfortunately, taxpayer as well as Google coin is spent to H2O only i side of the lawn.The same pity for those seen as weak creates political correctness[11], which constrains discourse as well as is complacent to the extremely sensitive PC-authoritarians that utilization violence as well as shaming to advance their cause. While Google hasn’t harbored the trigger-happy leftists protests that we’re seeing at universities, the frequent shaming inwards TGIF as well as inwards our civilisation has created the same silence, psychologically unsafe environment.Suggestions
I hope it’s clear that I’m non maxim that variety is bad, that Google or gild is 100% fair, that nosotros shouldn’t assay to right for existing biases, or that minorities receive got the same experience of those inwards the majority. My larger betoken is that nosotros receive got an intolerance for ideas as well as evidence that don’t check a sure ideology. I’m also non maxim that nosotros should bound people to sure gender roles; I’m advocating for quite the opposite: process people as individuals, non as just some other fellow member of their grouping (tribalism).My concrete suggestions are to:
De-moralize diversity.
- As shortly as nosotros start to moralize an issue, nosotros halt thinking nearly it inwards terms of costs as well as benefits, dismiss anyone that disagrees as immoral, as well as harshly punish those nosotros come across as villains to protect the “victims.”
Stop alienating conservatives.
- Viewpoint variety is arguably the most of import type of variety as well as political orientation is i of the most fundamental as well as pregnant ways inwards which people watch things differently.
- In highly progressive environments, conservatives are a minority that experience similar they demand to remain inwards the cupboard to avoid opened upwardly hostility. We should empower those with different ideologies to live able to limited themselves.
- Alienating conservatives is both non-inclusive as well as to a greater extent than oft than non bad business concern because conservatives tend to live higher inwards conscientiousness, which is require for much of the drudgery as well as maintenance piece of work feature of a mature company.
Confront Google’s biases.
- I’ve mostly concentrated on how our biases cloud our thinking nearly variety as well as inclusion, but our moral biases are farther reaching than that.
- I would start past times breaking downward Googlegeist scores past times political orientation as well as personality to give a fuller moving-picture demo into how our biases are affecting our culture.
Stop restricting programs as well as classes to sure genders or races.
- These discriminatory practices are both unfair as well as divisive. Instead focus on some of the non-discriminatory practices I outlined.
Have an opened upwardly as well as honest word nearly the costs as well as benefits of our variety programs.
- Discriminating just to increment the representation of women inwards tech is as misguided as well as biased as mandating increases for women’s representation inwards the homeless, work-related as well as trigger-happy deaths, prisons, as well as schoolhouse dropouts.
- There’s currently real petty transparency into the extend of our variety programs which keeps it immune to criticism from those exterior its ideological echo chamber.
- These programs are highly politicized which farther alienates non-progressives.
- I realize that some of our programs may live precautions against authorities accusations of discrimination, but that tin easily backfire since they incentivize illegal discrimination.
Focus on psychological safety, non just race/gender diversity.
- We should focus on psychological safety, which has shown positive effects as well as should (hopefully) non atomic number 82 to unfair discrimination.
- We demand psychological security as well as shared values to gain the benefits of diversity
- Having representative viewpoints is of import for those designing as well as testing our products, but the benefits are less clear for those to a greater extent than removed from UX.
De-emphasize empathy.
- I’ve heard several calls for increased empathy on variety issues. While I strongly back upwardly trying to sympathize how as well as why people recollect the way they do, relying on affective empathy—feeling another’s pain—causes us to focus on anecdotes, favor individuals similar to us, as well as harbor other irrational as well as unsafe biases. Being emotionally unengaged helps us ameliorate ground nearly the facts.
Prioritize intention.
- Our focus on microaggressions as well as other unintentional transgressions increases our sensitivity, which is non universally positive: sensitivity increases both our style to select criminal offense as well as our self censorship, leading to authoritarian policies. Speaking upwardly without the fearfulness of beingness harshly judged is key to psychological safety, but these practices tin take that security past times judging unintentional transgressions.
- Microaggression preparation incorrectly as well as dangerously equates oral communication with violence as well as isn’t backed past times evidence.
Be opened upwardly nearly the scientific discipline of human nature.
- Once nosotros admit that non all differences are socially constructed or due to discrimination, nosotros opened upwardly our eyes to a to a greater extent than accurate watch of the human status which is necessary if nosotros really want to solve problems.
Reconsider making Unconscious Bias preparation mandatory for promo committees.
- We haven’t been able to stair out whatever effect of our Unconscious Bias preparation as well as it has the potential for overcorrecting or backlash, especially if made mandatory.
- Some of the suggested methods of the electrical flow preparation (v2.3) are probable useful, but the political bias of the presentation is clear from the factual inaccuracies as well as the examples shown.
- Spend to a greater extent than fourth dimension on the many other types of biases as good stereotypes. Stereotypes are much to a greater extent than accurate as well as responsive to novel information than the preparation suggests (I’m non advocating for using stereotypes, I [sic] just pointing out the factual inaccuracy of what’s said inwards the training).
[1] This document is mostly written from the perspective of Google’s Mountain View campus, I can’t speak nearly other offices or countries.
[2] Of course, I may live biased as well as only come across evidence that supports my viewpoint. In terms of political biases, I consider myself a classical liberal as well as strongly value individualism as well as reason. I’d live real happy to hash out whatever of the document farther as well as provide to a greater extent than citations.
[3] Throughout the document, past times “tech”, I mostly hateful software engineering.
[4] For heterosexual romantic relationships, men are to a greater extent than strongly judged past times status as well as women past times beauty. Again, this has biological origins as well as is culturally universal.
[5] Stretch, BOLD, CSSI, Engineering Practicum (to an extent), as well as several other Google funded internal as well as external programs are for people with a sure gender or race.
[6] Instead laid Googlegeist OKRs, potentially for sure demographics. We tin increment representation at an org bird past times either making it a ameliorate environs for sure groups (which would live seen inwards survey scores) or discriminating based on a protected status (which is illegal as well as I’ve seen it done). Increased representation OKRs tin incentivize the latter as well as create zero-sum struggles betwixt orgs.
[7] Communism promised to live both morally as well as economically superior to capitalism, but every endeavor became morally corrupt as well as an economical failure. As it became clear that the working course of study of the liberal democracies wasn’t going to overthrow their “capitalist oppressors,” the Marxist intellectuals transitioned from course of study warfare to gender as well as race politics. The marrow oppressor-oppressed dynamics remained, but forthwith the oppressor is the “white, straight, cis-gendered patriarchy.”
[8] Ironically, IQ tests were initially championed past times the Left when meritocracy meant helping the victims of the aristocracy.
[9] Yes, inwards a national aggregate, women receive got lower salaries than men for a variety of reasons. For the same piece of work though, women acquire paid just as much as men. Considering women pass to a greater extent than coin than men as well as that salary represents how much the employees sacrifices (e.g. to a greater extent than hours, stress, as well as danger), nosotros really demand to rethink our stereotypes around power.
[10] “The traditionalist scheme of gender does non bargain good with the thought of men needing support. Men are expected to live strong, to non complain, as well as to bargain with problems on their own. Men’s problems are to a greater extent than oft seen as personal failings rather than victimhood,, due to our gendered thought of agency. This discourages men from bringing attending to their issues (whether private or group-wide issues), for fearfulness of beingness seen as whiners, complainers, or weak.”
[11] Political correctness is defined as “the avoidance of forms of facial expression or activity that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against,” which makes it clear why it’s a phenomenon of the Left as well as a tool of authoritarians.