The new Minister of Foreign Affairs Stéphane Séjourné has increased his French mistakes in recent days. Is this to be attributed to emotion, fatigue, or is it a real difficulty for him? The daily Libération in its portrait “Walking in the shadows” published last November indicates that the minister was a “dyslexic child”. “He remains uncomfortable with speaking. His first press conference left him with disastrous memories. During the presentation of the Macronist list in March 2019, he had scratched several names of running mates,” wrote the daily . And that changes everything.
Neither glory nor shame, dyslexia is a persistent reading and writing difficulty which can result in oral language disorders. Contrary to popular belief, dyslexia does not disappear in adulthood, but it is possible to limit its effects through hard work in childhood. Dyslexia pearls the life of those who (sup) carry this particularity. Its manifestations can resurface due to fatigue, too much activity or a change in work environment. “Unfortunately, “Dys” disorders are too often misunderstood, which leads to discrimination and harassment. Discrimination against “Dys” people can manifest itself at any age of life, from school to the world of work,” notes In a press release released this November 17 the French Federation of “Dys”.
If certain journalists and Internet users have fallen head over heels for Stéphane Séjourné’s language errors, are they to blame? They are in reality in line with this very French idea that anyone who does not master the language perfectly would not be up to the task of occupying leading positions. And that is the tragedy, this confusion between abilities, skills, and expression because words are their evil.
Dyslexic people would represent 6% to 8% of the French population. They are your colleagues, your bosses, your doctors, your computer scientists, scientists, researchers and Nobel Prize winners (Jacques Dubochet Chimie 2017), journalists (Thomas Legrand), spies, expedition leader (Jean-Louis Etienne). Although they are particularly comfortable in innovation, solving complex problems or leadership, dyslexics still camouflage themselves in France. On the other hand, in the United Kingdom, Sir Richard Branson, multimillionaire founder of the Virgin empire, proclaims from the rooftops that he succeeded thanks to his dyslexia. In France, this is a blind spot. Our school system is not yet sufficiently adapted to this particularity, nor even corporate CSR.
So, what does France lose by not worrying about bringing out the Richard Branson, Spielberg Or Ingvar Kamprad (founder of Ikea)? It would be better to focus on the strengths of these people with different cognitions rather than making them a subject of mockery. Isn’t it time to change our outlook, to take an interest in new research on dyslexia which demonstrates the key role they have to play in changes in society (climate challenges, AI, etc.)?
“He who differs from me, far from harming me, enriches me,” wrote Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. To counter this futile controversy, the government would have benefited from anticipating the dyslexia of one of its ministers on this subject. This would have been a strong gesture, a symbol of hope for many French people.
*Marine Balansard, director of Ariseal, a consulting and training firm, and co-author of “The superpowers of dyslexics in the workplace” with Quentin Bous, Eyrolles editions.