421. Your Critical Faculties

Keep your critical faculties sharp. When you hear a report either favourable or unfavourable about a person, place or thing, do not simply accept it at face value. Find out the real agenda behind the report - where the person making it is coming from. To what extent are they likely to benefit from the actions you may take based on it ? Cui bono ? (Who benefits?)  Always favour disinterested reports over biased or coloured reports, the one by the person who has nothing to gain or lose by any actions you may take. Always react neutrally to reports so that others won't be afraid to give you bad news and so that they can't know from your reaction what your plans are. (None of their flamin' business.) ~Treat all nformants on a need to know basis.