Truth might hurt, but not nearly as much as falsehoods
often do. Falsehoods can ruin lives by fueling discrimination
and provoking ostracism. In a less nefarious
vein, falsehoods can engender blind adherence to costly
assumptions.
our cover story on gays in the military, however, shows
that facts can eventually conquer taboos. Since 1993, evidence
has become available to show that gays are nearly
as prevalent in the military as they are in civilian life and,
as important, that gay service members generally intend
to remain discreet about revealing their sexual orientation,
even if allowed to serve without restriction. Evidence has
also shown that cohesion in combat stems not from preconceived,
shared values and attitudes but rather from the
shared dedication to the mission. Therefore, little will likely
change in the U.S. military with the repeal of its “don’t ask,
don’t Tell” policy, although there might be fewer cases of
substance abuse and mental disorders among gay service
members, because they will no longer need to hide their
sexual orientation.
Then there is the stigma against the mentally ill. our
perspectives article on “Facing the Music” discusses how the
January shooting of U.S. Congresswoman gabrielle giffords
by an allegedly mentally ill gunman elicited all the wrong
reactions (having to do with blame) and none of the right
ones (having to do with health and safety). Because when it
comes to mental illness, society tends to place stigma above
science.
and then there are the sacred cows. Two of our news
articles challenge common assumptions driving U.S. energy
policy. one article undercuts the idea that alternative liquid
fuels can yield direct military benefits; the other finds that
a federal tax on crude oil would yield more benefits than
could the nation’s current means of funding the transportation
system. But in these cases, blind faith in alternative fuels
and blind denials of oil taxes amount to costly falsehoods.
In all four of these cases, rand researchers have not
made themselves popular by compiling evidence that challenges
old taboos, widespread stigmas, and sacred cows. But
in the long run, revealing the truth will hurt far less.
—John godges
// for document and entire article, please visit: http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/corporate_pubs/2011/RAND_CP22-2011-04.pdf
