Some months ago, I read an article suggesting that the primary problem facing NAM's was a lack of Patience, not a lack of any other trait (IQ, conscientiousness, etc.). In particular, the NAMs suffered a special unwillingness to take shit from their bosses. And of course, it's well known to my regular readers that I think that patience (willingness to defer gratification) is the uber-trait, beating out IQ by a fair margin.
Upon discussing this with my wife...she pointed out that we have a pretty solid model of internal/mental resources as limited. Kahneman's recent book reminded us that concentration is a finite, depleteable resource. Similarly, a couple days ago John Goodman linked to a study showing willpower is measureable in blood glycogen levels or some such (the Aretae theory of how sufficient sleep positively impacts weight loss relies heavily on this linkage)
Suppose for a moment (actually, I'm asserting that this is true) that on average, NAMs get more shit in a given day before they get to work than do whites/Asians. If this is true, then you should expect that a the characteristics of our society would make it so an average NAM would have a lower tolerance for boss-, or customer- bullshit than an all-aspects equivalent White who hadn't suffered the same amount of crap on the way to work. If one adds in that many folks also give MORE shit to the NAM at work...you've built a relatively unsustainable position.
Same results (lower tolerance for BS, with massive negatives on job-results), different explanatory structure.
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Next step: What else would be true if this were so...
1. If everyone in our sample group were in a very structured environment, such that EVERYONE got the same amount of shit every day, then the racial differences in observed patience at work should shrink/disappear. How does the military go with this?
2. In an initially racist-against-all-non-whites society, wouldn't ALL minorities, asians included, have the same problem to the same degree?
My very limited knowledge of the USA in this area indicates that point 1 supports your thesis, and point 2 does not. But I stand by to receive actual data.
Dr. Pat,
I didn't know WHO would propose an experiment, but I was pretty sure it was coming.
I think that 2 is kinda fishy. My take on racism is that racism occurs when there are economic conditions and large numbers of multiple groups. (Anti-black) Racism wasn't big in Europe because there weren't any blacks. Hispanic racism is centered on the Mexican border, with almost no anti-hispanic racism in, say, seattle. Anti-asian racism isn't big anywhere in the country (except sometimes california) because there simply aren't enough of them to constitute an economically dangerous not-us block. Black Racism and hispanic racism fail this test.
Yeah, experiment 2 depends on local conditions. In my city (Sydney) the groups that are distrusted are Arabs, Indians and Chinese. And sure enough, those are the sizable minority groups.
Though I've never found someone who disliked all three groups. Usually they would be fine with one or two of them.
(I could analyze it and conclude that the stated reasons for disliking each group are so different, and in some cases contradictory, that you can't maintain a coherent argument against all three groups. But I'm sure that logical coherent arguments aren't really a factor.)
In particular, the NAMs suffered a special unwillingness to take shit from their bosses.
I'd like to see "shit" defined, quantified, and measured. I suspect NAMs also suffer an unwillingness to take shit from customers and other employees. I suspect this is a catch-all excuse for any inability to do a job.
RSF,
1. I would agree with you that NAMs have a general unwillingness to take shit from anyone.
2. Let us define "take shit" as "be treated as a lesser person".
3. I believe that this does seriously compromise their ability to do many/most jobs.
4. I don't believe that "excuse" is the right connotation.
I'm not convinced of the self-control experiments (they don't do a good job of isolating self-control from mental activity of other kinds, all of which are energy expensive), but considering they suggest blood sugar as a driving impetus for self control, this at least should be fairly easy to examine; NAMs who enjoy snacking throughout the day should experience radically different career outcomes, on average.
If self control IS the UBER-trait, and this depends on blood sugar, then diet and snacking behavour and other blood sugar related traits should correlate highly with work performance for everyone.
My most recent read has a better explanation that effectively debunks the blood-sugar line.
My personal observation of people with blood sugar problems indicates that there may be a correlation because if you have a sudden drop in blood sugar, this would lead to poor thinking and lack of judgement/control.
However, outside of those people the rest of us would not have a sugar/control connection.
Taking shit is the uber trait for climbing the corporate ladder.
I don't know if NAMs get more shit. People are rediculously afraid of being called racist (life and career ending) if you stand up to a NAM. They can pretty much get away with anything, and people avoid confrontation with them. Then again I'm talking about the SWPL world, which is out of reach for all but IWSBs. If its a redneck construction crew they may indeed take more shit.
I think testosterone + macho culture is a big part of it.
IWSBs?
Yes, people are somewhat afraid of being called racist...But my 5'0" big-smile, 100% non-threatening wife with superhero-level people watching skills has pointed out to me sufficiently often that even my almost-aspie self can see it: in an awful lot of places: simple trying to interact with staff at a business produces a completely different, and far more negative response based on race.
How many times can you watch a shopkeeper smile courteously at 3 white customers in a line, and then turn sullen and unpleasant for the 4th black customer, and then become instantly friendly for the 5th white one before you start getting mad?
For me...the number is about 2.
In Chicago, an average black person sees it 5x a day.
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