Talk About Taboo
“In our house, we don’t do that.” “If you want to join us, that behavior is not tolerated.” “We don’t do that here.” Learning how to play in the sandbox, get invited to the party, or fit into a workplace culture. Each requires that we understand the rules. If we follow them, the group lets us stay in the game. If we break the rules, we risk rejection or outright ouster. Teaching what is taboo doesn’t always come from an employee handbook or a friend plainly telling us. We learn from observation. Growing up, my Catholic working class childhood
