The two biggest problems I've seen with this discussion are: 1) A Shocking Lack of Empathy; and 2) The Stench of Self-Righteousness 1) I've seen too many peopl

The two biggest problems I've seen with this discussion are: 1) A Shocking Lack of Empathy; and 2) The Stench of Self-Righteousness 1) I've seen too many people say things like "He was only talking about biology, he never actually said 'women are dumb'" As a child you are responsible for what you say. As an adult you are responsible for what others hear. Sometimes in conversation you say stupid things that can be misunderstood, but if you take the time to write a 10 page memo, you NEED to take the time to imagine how others will hear it. This is a problem for both sides of this conversation, and lack of empathy is probably the main reason why the guy had to be fired. 2) When you have that righteous feeling in your gut, take a minute and refer back to point one, try to look at it from the other person's point of view. Imagine where they are coming from. Being RIGHT is never enough. People are motivated by emotions and desires, not facts. Sometimes those desires are fact-based; but often they are not.