FROM THE EDITOR

Have you noticed how hushed everyone has suddenly become? Have you noticed how people suddenly stumble over their words a little more than they used to, clutching for phrases that wound no one and yet mean nothing? I have. A friend of mine recently confided she no longer speaks up at dinner parties for fear her political stance will not chime with those around her. An ex-colleague, meanwhile, explained how she had been publicly ‘shamed’ for not sharing the same feminist principles as others in her office. Multiple young women I know – smart, liberal, enlightened folk – have shuttered their social-media accounts because of the backlash they have faced when their views do not match those of the masses. Given we live in one of the most progressive times in history, a time when diversity is rightfully being forced to the top of agendas, isn’t it ironic that it has come to this? Because let us not forget, diversity is about much more than the colour of our skin and the class into which we were born. Diversity is not only a place where everyone looks and speaks differently; it’s a place where people should be able to think and feel differently without the threat of verbal admonishment. I often ask my team to disagree with me. In meetings I can get wildly carried away with an idea (I am acutely aware of their glazed expressions and smirks when this happens), and so rely on their divergent opinions to challenge me. We don’t always agree on things, that’s for sure. But then, that’s also kind of the point. Because here’s the thing: we need diverse thoughts. We need people who challenge and, yes, occasionally rattle us. Some of the greatest inventions and most momentous events in history only came about by conflicting ideas, thoughts and personalities coming together. It is now largely accepted, for example, that part of Britain’s success in defeating Nazi Germany was down to the conflict between Winston Churchill and his Chief of Staff, Alan Brooke. The two men had vastly different approaches to the war, and yet the tension between their opposing viewpoints is what created a winning result. True diversity is not when everyone looks different but thinks the same. Sure, that may lead to initial change – but it doesn’t lead to long-lasting progress. And surely that’s the one thing we all agree on. Keep in touch by following me on Twitter @Farrah_Storr and Instagram @farrahstorr