Radical Candor in "The Sound of Music"

We’re starting a Media Fridays series where we’ll show videos, songs, TV show clips, etc. that are fun examples of Radical Candor, Obnoxious Aggression, Ruinous Empathy, or Manipulative Insincerity.

First up, The Sound of Music. Maria criticizes her boss, Captain von Trapp, with Direct Challenges (pretty strong ones!), but she also shows over and over that she Cares Personally. Maria doesn’t hesitate to “Just say it!”

As often happens, Captain von Trapp doesn’t react well to Maria’s criticism at first. Radical Candor is hard. It doesn’t always get the reception it deserves, especially at first.

If you have a couple of hours this weekend, watch the whole movie to appreciate the positive impact that Maria’s criticism eventually has on Captain von Trapp, his relationship with his children, and his relationship with Maria. Spoiler alert: she gets her job back :)

Have you noticed a character being Radically Candid, Obnoxiously Aggressive, Ruinously Empathetic or Manipulatively Insincere? Tell us about it in the comments, or tweet it to us @Candor and we’ll check it out for this series!