The obvious remains invisible only because we choose to turn a blind eye to any framework that doesn’t align with our interests.
Our minds crave homogenization. Even the misfits and activists who believe in no other cause than hope share tribal urges — there’s a strong instinct to join the pack.
The herd outwits the individual, harnessing the enthusiasm of those who “think different” to change at will to match their surroundings.
Any form of groupthink places the pillars of arrogance on a shaky footing. The makers and resistors of history become trapped within themselves, unable to self-distance from the magnet of lies. Meanwhile, the truth offers an avenue of escape.
How we expose ourselves to contradiction is a hallmark of first-class minds. Genius seeks exposure to assimilation and discord, spelling trouble for those algorithms that think they know us better than ourselves.
“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function.” F. Scott Fitzgerald famously wrote. Some can live with ambiguity and paradox.
Human behavior is complex. A worldview rarely lasts forever. “Strong opinions, loosely held” is a mantra that protects against the bulwark of algorithms gathering manipulative predictive data fragments. The marketer knows that a good story changes people’s minds.
The brain is a three-dimensional plastic structure that explores variable modes as it cultivates new insights. We contain multitudes, logging in new interests daily. But only by tinting the air with elasticity can we charge ahead to see beyond any rigid structure.