Radical Candor

Biological Parallel

When chimpanzees groom, dominant individuals deliver painful corrections—removing parasites aggressively, even causing temporary discomfort—because sugar-coating leaves infections untreated and relationships decay. Subordinates accept this 'radical candor' because it's clearly motivated by care (time investment, reciprocity) not dominance displays. Grooming that's all gentleness misses threats; grooming that's all aggression destroys bonds. Kim Scott's framework mirrors primate social maintenance: direct feedback that challenges must be wrapped in obvious personal investment, or it reads as attack.