Heretics And Free Thinkers: Do You Know the Difference?
Fred Wilson published a post on Heretics today.
There is a lot to disagree here.
There are two types of heretics:
a) the ones who are truly heretic -- obnoxious, negative, and driven by their ego to prove they are right and others are wrong.
b) the ones who are made to look heretic but are not -- they are independent-minded freethinkers seeking the truth, and in the process asking pointed questions of the status quo. They are speaking truth to power.
By branding them all with a broad brush as heretic and not understanding their specific intent (ego-driven or truth-seekers) does both the individual and the company a great disservice.
I have come to view with suspicion books, posts, and opinions that call for the indiscriminate culling of heretics. It ends up as a tool for the powerful and egotists to suppress dissent and reframe genuine questions and debate as negativity.
As Feyman said, better to have questions that cannot be answered and make you squirm than answers that cannot be questioned.
So, how do you know a heretic who is a drain on morale and culture vs. a freethinker who needs to be encouraged and nurtured? At the risk of over-generalizing, here are some broad rules.
Heretics solve for ego. Freethinkers solve for truth.
Heretics will not change their minds and want to be consistent with their earlier proclamations. Freethinkers will not hesitate to change their minds if they see data or arguments that are convincing.
Heretics are motivated by wanting to be seen as “special”. Freethinkers are driven by curiosity and a sense of wonder; they seek to delve deeper into everything and see if something is as claimed or fake.
Heretics are fake non-conformists who spout non-consensus opinions just to oppose the crowd. Freethinkers conform or oppose based on first principles.
Heretics often deploy cunning and manipulative techniques to carry out their agendas. Freethinkers are typically open and direct.
Heretics take little joy in others’ successes. Freethinkers are joyful beings and are great people to hang out with.
Of course, it is important to not label or stereotype: people fall on a broad spectrum, can exhibit different behaviors based on context, and also change over time. But before judging the next so-called “heretic” at work, ask first if you are you dealing with a heretic or a freethinker and if you know how to tell the difference?