John Dickerson

John Dickerson is co-anchor of "CBS Evening News" and anchor of "CBS Evening News Plus." He is also a Contributing Writer to The Atlantic and is co-host of the Slate Political Gabfest.

  • 12/07/2023: Is enforced loyalty a good recipe for achievement?

    User

    You: What is the historical record of operations founded on loyalty where the person to whom everyone must show loyalty has a record of almost no reciprocal loyalty?
    ChatGPT:

    The historical record of operations or regimes founded on loyalty to a central figure who does not reciprocate that loyalty is marked by instability and often, eventual collapse or transformation. The lack of reciprocal loyalty often leads to disillusionment and disenchantment among the loyal subjects or followers, which can undermine the authority of the central figure.

    Historical examples include various autocratic rulers who demanded unwavering loyalty from their subjects but were notorious for purging even their most loyal supporters on suspicions of disloyalty or to consolidate power. For instance, Joseph Stalin’s reign in the Soviet Union was characterized by the requirement of absolute loyalty to his person, yet he frequently engaged in purges of the Communist Party and the military, removing those who were deemed untrustworthy or too powerful, regardless of their previous loyalty to him.

    Similarly, in feudal societies, lords demanded loyalty from their vassals, but their support might not be guaranteed; a lord could easily replace vassals or fail to support them in times of need, leading to frequent shifts in alliances and power dynamics.

    In the context of modern corporate operations or political campaigns, a leader who does not show loyalty to their team members may find it difficult to maintain a cohesive and motivated group, often leading to high turnover, leaks, and a toxic culture. The lack of trust and support can be detrimental to the effectiveness and longevity of the operation.

    Ultimately, operations founded on one-sided loyalty often face significant challenges, as reciprocal loyalty is a key component in building and maintaining trust, cohesion, and stability. Without it, the foundation is likely to erode over time, leading to potential rebellion, turnover, or systemic change.

  • More Notions

  • 04/14/2023: Summer's End

    It’s hot today for the first time of the season, which makes it feel like the start of summer. Time to start stacking the sandbags against the end of summer blues. The sun is going down. This song came on shuffle. It’s from John Prine’s Tree of Forgiveness. Yesterday was the five-year anniversary of the […]
  • 04/08/2023: Chat GPT and checking yourself

    When your words don’t land as you intend it can be because a) you were unclear b) the people listening misunderstood your point or c) some members of the audience are willfully misunderstanding what you say. I was recently asked about the Tennessee lawmakers kicked out of the body. So I asked Chat GPT to […]
  • 04/02/2023: CBS This Morning on Trump Indictment

  • 04/01/2023: What's in the Indictment? A debate with Chat GPT

    Here is an argument about the recent indictment of former President Trump: Former President Donald Trump has been indicted. The people who know what is in the indictment aren’t talking. The people who are talking don’t know what’s in the indictment. None of them do. It’s sealed. Nevertheless, a lot of time will be spent […]
  • 04/01/2023: Chat GPT is terrible at poltiics

    Question: The Manhattan district attorney has issued an indictment of Donald Trump but the facts are not known and will not be known for several days, how should that encourage or discourage a person from forming opinions about the indictment itself? As an AI language model, I cannot provide personal opinions, but I can offer […]
  • 03/28/2023: See the gift, ease the burden.

    Everyone has at least one gift and one burden. It is hard to find the gift in some people. See the gift, ease the burden.

  • 03/26/2023: Old note found: moving up the time of grace

    Dr. Nadia Chaudhri died on October 5, 2021. She narrated her death from cancer on her Twitter feed. Every time I read her writing I thought about the grace on display. The lessons she was able to give us. I just found a note I wrote to myself after reading one of her entries: “move […]
  • 03/25/2023: A satisfying GPT exchange

    A lot of the coverage of change GPT has been about the learning and development of artificial intelligence. What I wonder is how we, as humans, are going to slowly learn and acculturate to the kinds of exchanges with ChatGPT and its cousins. What I’m thinking about is the psychological closeness that will accrue in […]
  • 03/25/2023: In the days of easy poison

    When people dropped dead for any variety of reasons, it was much easier to poison your enemies,and have your murder written off as just another one of those episodes where a person was dropping dead because people dropped dead all the time. This seems to have been what happened. In the case of. William Longespee […]