No Positions Open for a Chief Discouragement Officer

Do you have a special talent for spotting someone’s excitement and shutting it down? Do you find satisfaction in watching a big idea shrink into a quiet shrug? Then you might be exactly who your town does not need.

Some towns have people who can listen to a new idea for a park, community event, or downtown improvement—and with a raised eyebrow or a slow shake of the head, bring it all to a halt. There are always those ready to remind everyone of every reason a dream won’t work. “We tried that in 1987,” they say with confidence, even if no one remembers. “People around here won’t go for that,” even if no one’s actually asked them.

They sit in meetings nodding politely while thinking, “Not a chance.” They gently file passionate proposals into the trash with a well-practiced smile. They hold the keys to empty storefronts and unused buildings, choosing to let them fade rather than hand them over to someone with a fresh idea.

In towns where young people come with energy and hope, these voices slow them down. When someone suggests a mural, they ask who’s going to clean it. When a teen wants to host a concert, they point to noise rules. When someone dares to say, “What if we…,” they’re ready with, “That’ll never work.”

They’re masters of redirection. Does someone want to open a restaurant? Suggest they try another town instead. A group wants to form a neighborhood association? Mention how tricky that can be, then change the subject. When an idea doesn’t match their vision—or threatens to change anything at all—they know just how to smother it in polite words and paperwork.

And when the sun sets on another quiet day in town, they stand tall in the mirror and say, “I kept things just the way they’ve always been. I helped someone give up today.”

If you believe the past was the best it will ever be, and you think the best way to protect a town is to say “no” more often than “yes,” then congratulations—you might already be doing the job.

But for the sake of the town’s future—maybe it’s time to let someone else speak.

Or better yet—don’t. Wouldn’t want to risk something new.

Written by David L. Burton

MORE INFORMATION

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