Hi friends!
As a leader in personal accountability, I don’t condone Will Smith’s behavior at the 2022 Oscars. Millions of children who look up to him as a hero were watching the Oscars and the replays. Many of them will see this type of revenge as acceptable.
There is always a better way, especially for someone who is adept in communication as Will is. We also rise to the quality of the expectations of our peers. He lowered the bar in those moments to his peers at the Academy.
However, with all said, both context and intention are decisive. When we get into Will Smith’s world and understand some of the emotional wounds he developed growing up from not being able to defend his mother from his father, it might give you a little compassion for him.
I’ve listened to Will’s recent memoir/book and he goes into this and how he chose to become comedic as a child to distract his father from beating his Mom and how that lack of response back then was emasculating.
This video from the SAG awards shows a bit of this and why Will Smith goes out of his way these days to defend black women.
Once again, I’m not taking Will Smith’s side. I do have compassion for him.
Onward and Upwards,
Joseph
P.S. Image Header is not mine: Will Smith at the 2011 Walmart Shareholders Meeting by Reinhold593 is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.
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