Doug Funny

The Nickelodeon show, “Doug” (i.e. Doug Funny), which ran from 1991 to 1994, is a great case study. Many of the episodes take place in Doug’s school. However, in the final episode, after four years of middle school, Doug realizes he’s never met the school principal. This is true of the audience as well. We never meet Principal Buttsavitch. We do meet assistant/vice-principal Lamar Bone, who is the stereotypical “mean principal,” and one of Doug’s antagonists. Mr. Bone is generally uptight and serious about his job, and commonly threatens to put even the smallest mistakes on the “permanent record.”

Gather and Verify

As an assistant principal, Mr. Bone usually forgets one of the key steps in good decision-making. When doing an investigation of some wrong doing at Doug’s school, he often forgets to gather and verify all the facts. Instead, he jumps to an uniformed decision, blaming Doug Funny for something he didn’t do.

It is important to gather and verify all the facts.

As a principal or anyone in a leadership role, you need to have something we now call “emotional-intelligence,” aka “wisdom.” Actually, emotional-intelligence is a great descriptive phrase for wisdom, because it recognizes something that we now know from brain research, that you really do have two brains. Not literally, but you do have a right and left hemisphere. The right side is responsible for the emotions, feelings, and artistic ability, the people side of the brain. The left is the logical, reasoning side of the brain. Most people are characterized by having one side more dominant than the other. Yes, in my family the sexual stereotype holds true; Liz is the right brained, people-smart half of our partnership and I’m the logical, get to the bottom-line half. 

Hard vs. Soft Facts

However, I’ve learned that I need to try harder when it comes to the softer, people side. This brings me to an important principle, when it comes to things; let your head rule over your heart. The facts you need to focus on gathering and verifying are the “cold, hard facts.” We just leased a new car, which provided an opportunity for me to be logical and gather the facts. “How much will this option cost over the life of the three-year lease?” “Which bank requires a termination fee?” This is my comfort zone.

The reverse of this principle is equally true. When it comes to people; let your heart rule over your head. Now, I have been a leader for many years and I need to brag a little here. I’ve gotten much better with this principle. It may be true that Bobby used profane and abusive words when referring to Johnny. But, why? What were the emotions and feelings that triggered him to lash out in this way? “Oh, Johnny told others in the class that Bobby is a thief, which was not true.” With people, you need to dig deeper and gather and verify the “soft facts,” or feelings and emotions.

It is easy to jump to the wrong conclusion. Let’s learn a lesson from Doug Funny and Assistant Principal Bone about gathering and verifying all the facts.

“My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

James 1:19-20

Copyright © 2023 Chuck Locklear

Also, see Brain Development.