Qualified
“Would you rather be taken care of by someone who looks like you, or by the most qualified person in the room?”We’re not talking about me of course, not really, although if you are a fly on the wall, it might sound like we are. We’re actually having a collegial discussion about hiring; whom you interview, who will fit, how you choose.“Would you rather be taken care of by someone who looks like you, or by the most qualified person in the room?”The question, posed to me by my partner, is not meant as a joke. It’s not meant as irony, and it’s certainly not an attempt at cruelty. It is probably meant to be rhetorical. Rhetorical: to make a statement rather than elicit information. It’s a serious question, though, and more than that, it’s an interesting question, and even more than that, it’s a question that deserves some thought in its analysis, since clearly very little thought had gone into its articulation.“Would you rather be taken care of by someone who looks like you, or by the most