It’s hard to be fair to someone you don’t like. That’s what makes it the real test of fairness.

LEADERSHIP

WHAT THIS MEANS

Fairness toward people you like is easy enough that it barely counts. The muscle only gets used when you would genuinely prefer the other person to lose. That is where you find out whether you are holding a principle or a preference, because everything in you is quietly arguing for the version that happens to suit you.

Think of one person you cannot stand. Ask what they would be owed if you did like them: a turn, a fair hearing, the benefit of the doubt on something small. Give exactly that, with no extra performance of niceness on top.

A QUESTION TO SIT WITH

Who do you find hardest to treat fairly right now?

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