Friday, November 23, 2007
The Clooney Formula
Surely I'm not the first person to notice that George Clooney's last three movies, Goodnight and Good Luck, Syriana and Michael Clayton, all have the same theme, a corrupt but internally consistent system peopled by ordinary people driven by ordinary motives who willingly see their job in a limited context while they function as cogs in the machine, a few leaders driven by greed who rationalize their moral lapses, and one guy with a conscience who sees the big picture and decides to do something about it.
I think the recent New York Times article, Denial Makes the World Go Round, especially the part where tacit agreements not to discuss certain topics can wedge participants into untenable corners, provides critical context. Moral Mazes, by Robert Jackall, is the best book I've read on the subject. [My review] [Aaron Swartz review] [Another great review I just found.]
Each Clooney movie ends too early to tell whether the individual makes a difference, but the probable outcome in all three cases ranges from, "Not much," to "No."
I think the recent New York Times article, Denial Makes the World Go Round, especially the part where tacit agreements not to discuss certain topics can wedge participants into untenable corners, provides critical context. Moral Mazes, by Robert Jackall, is the best book I've read on the subject. [My review] [Aaron Swartz review] [Another great review I just found.]
Each Clooney movie ends too early to tell whether the individual makes a difference, but the probable outcome in all three cases ranges from, "Not much," to "No."
Technorati Tags: AaronSwartz, Corruption, LawrenceLessig, MoralMazes, Organizational Culture, RobertJackall
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