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1/ One thing I’ve been thinking a lot about is why people are more and more afraid to be eccentric, look dumb, be weird, etc.
Reading John Stuart Mill, specifically chapter 3 of “On Liberty”, could be informative for how we think about the topic today.
Reading John Stuart Mill, specifically chapter 3 of “On Liberty”, could be informative for how we think about the topic today.
2/ Individuality, JSM believed, was crucial for a prosperous society and strong community.
“Only by cultivating our individuality, can we strengthen the tie which binds every individual to the race, by making the race infinitely better worth belonging to”
“Only by cultivating our individuality, can we strengthen the tie which binds every individual to the race, by making the race infinitely better worth belonging to”
3/ “W/ more individuality, each person becomes more valuable to himself, + is therefore capable of being more valuable to others.
There is a greater fulness of life about his existence, + when there is more life in the units there is more in the mass which is composed of them."
There is a greater fulness of life about his existence, + when there is more life in the units there is more in the mass which is composed of them."
4/ His biggest fear was conformity, and lack of appreciation for originality.
“But the evil is, that individual spontaneity is hardly recognized by the common modes of thinking as having any intrinsic worth, or deserving any regard on its own account”
“But the evil is, that individual spontaneity is hardly recognized by the common modes of thinking as having any intrinsic worth, or deserving any regard on its own account”
5/ JSM saw that fear come to life, a certain death by conformity:
“Comparatively speaking, they now read the same things, listen to the same things, see the same things, go to the same places, have their hopes and fears directed to the same objects..."
“Comparatively speaking, they now read the same things, listen to the same things, see the same things, go to the same places, have their hopes and fears directed to the same objects..."
6/ He saw that people, instead of asking: “what do I prefer? or, what would suit my character and disposition?”…
were instead asking: “what is suitable to my position? what is usually done by persons of my station and my financial circumstances (& status)?”
were instead asking: “what is suitable to my position? what is usually done by persons of my station and my financial circumstances (& status)?”
7/ He saw that this was getting worse:
“All the political changes of the age promote it…every extension of education promotes it…Improvements in the means of communication promote it…The increase of commerce and manufactures promotes it…
“All the political changes of the age promote it…every extension of education promotes it…Improvements in the means of communication promote it…The increase of commerce and manufactures promotes it…
8/ As transparency increases, bad behavior decreases along with it, but so does eccentricity
“All of the minute details of his daily life are pried into, + whatever is found which, bears an appearance unlike absolute commonplace, is laid before the jury as evidence of insanity”
“All of the minute details of his daily life are pried into, + whatever is found which, bears an appearance unlike absolute commonplace, is laid before the jury as evidence of insanity”
9/ we have a strong need for individuality today:
“There is always need of persons not only to discover new truths, + point out when what were once truths are true no longer, but also to commence new practices, and set the example of more enlightened conduct"
“There is always need of persons not only to discover new truths, + point out when what were once truths are true no longer, but also to commence new practices, and set the example of more enlightened conduct"
10/ Making an environment safe for people at the fringes is how we preserve & cultivate genius:
“Persons of genius, it is true, are…a small minority; but in order to have them, it is necessary to preserve the soil in which they grow….an atmosphere of freedom. “
“Persons of genius, it is true, are…a small minority; but in order to have them, it is necessary to preserve the soil in which they grow….an atmosphere of freedom. “
11/ What’s hard is that the good kind of weirdness is hard to spot. If it was easy, then it wouldn’t be weird.
“Originality is the one thing which unoriginal minds cannot feel the use of. how should they? If they could see what it would do for them, it would not be originality"
“Originality is the one thing which unoriginal minds cannot feel the use of. how should they? If they could see what it would do for them, it would not be originality"
12/ Being weird can be a good in and of itself: “In this age the mere example of non-conformity, the mere refusal to bend the knee to custom, is itself a service.”
Weirdness/eccentricity is often originality before it's recognized. Often it isn't, of course, but that's the price
Weirdness/eccentricity is often originality before it's recognized. Often it isn't, of course, but that's the price
13/ “in order to break through the tyranny of opinion, ppl should be eccentric--the amount of eccentricity in a society has been proportional to the amount of genius, + moral courage which it contained
...That so few now dare to be eccentric, marks the chief danger of the time."
...That so few now dare to be eccentric, marks the chief danger of the time."
14/ JSM warned against a great complacency stemming from lack of eccentricity:
"The greatness of England is now all content....But it was men of another stamp than this that made England what it has been; and men of another stamp will be needed to prevent its decline."
"The greatness of England is now all content....But it was men of another stamp than this that made England what it has been; and men of another stamp will be needed to prevent its decline."
15/ Interestingly, Alex Danco just called out Silicon Valley, the place most known for its originality, for pursing the *identity* of originality (or contrarian-ness) without actually having the substance that comes with it.
medium.com/social-capital…
medium.com/social-capital…
16/ Inertia points towards conformity — “the general tendency of things throughout the world is to render mediocrity the ascendant power among mankind” — so we must actively resist.
Be weird and prosper.
Be weird and prosper.
Maybe the tools that let us share original thought (fb, twitter) are the same tools that keep us accountable to our past selves and don't let us take risks/be weird.
We need to make it culturally safe for people to change their minds & evolve their identities
h/t @thedanigrant
We need to make it culturally safe for people to change their minds & evolve their identities
h/t @thedanigrant
