The Scarlet Letter

When is it acceptable to Ostracize someone?

The article, “research: The Hidden Benefits of Gossip and Ostracism” by Clifton B. Parker, presents some of the positive aspects of ostracism and gossip. This article is found on the Stanford Business website. In this article, Parker discusses the unknown benefits to ostracism.

When a person isn’t willing to conform and follow the rules of an organization, the leader has to punish them in some way. If they are too stubborn to listen to the leader, the leader then punishes the unit to get them to realize that what they are doing is wrong.
When the people are punished in place of them, they get ostracized as the cause for punishment.

If the leader or the unit does not utilize ostracizing as a disciplinary tool, they risk anarchy and chaos in their community. This also allows those more involved to have greater influence. “‘By removing defectors, more cooperative individuals can more freely invest in the public good without fear of exploitation.’” (Clifton B. Parker)

Although there are some benefits to ostracizing as a punishment, some people can abuse the power and use it incorrectly. Many people have found themselves being ostracized for nothing that they did wrong. Ostracism is a tool for discipline, but it can be easily used by the wrong people.

While there definitely are positive ways and reasons for ostracism, society today paints it as a vile and evil act. This, sadly, increases the level of chaos and anarchy that can be found in workspaces. Like a tool or weapon, ostracism itself is not evil, but evil people can use it for harm.

WORKS CITED

• Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Published 1850. Print
• Parker, Clifton B. “Research: The Hidden Benefits of Gossip and Ostracism.” n.p. 5 February 2014, https://www.gsb.stanford.edu/insights/research-hidden-benefits-gossip-ostra.... Accessed 22 September 2020