Revolution happens at the edges
Technological development depends on nonconformity. In the past few weeks, I have read articles and watched clips that show how all the major players are starting to notice it.
The most important technological innovations have come from people who don’t follow traditional norms and are not satisfied with the status quo. Innovation and creativity are born from breaking the rules.
Only those who see the world in a different way can invent something new. People who think conventionally see limitations; nonconformists see opportunities. Only a unique perspective leads to new solutions.
Revolutionary technologies and novel approaches are rarely immediately understood or accepted. In fact, they are often met with skepticism or ridicule at first. Nevertheless, nonconformists persevere, fueled by their belief in their vision.
Nonconformists not only inspire the adoption of new ideas, but change social approaches. Technological advancement is not just a technical matter; it is tied to how our lives and habits change. Technological innovation challenges norms and opens up new possibilities, and those who are crazy enough to believe they can change the world often do.
Placing huge bets
The harsh truth is that most people don’t want to be visionaries, even when they say they welcome innovative people and innovative ideas.
Common behaviors often emerge while encountering radical approaches: skepticism, resistance, fear of failure, cognitive dissonance, conformance, incremental thinking.
Thinking ahead and envisioning a future that others may not yet see is frustrating. Resistance can hinder productive dialogue. Foresight is unappreciated or misunderstood. Skepticism can feel like a rejection of the vision and values. Credibility is challenged, feeding feelings of inadequacy or self-doubt.
Being forced to make incremental changes for a long period of time leads to fears that ideas will be lost or that stagnation will prevail. Constantly having to defend or justify innovative ideas can drain energy, leaving a sense of demotivation.
There is a high risk-to-reward ratio in the process. Before achieving success, visionaries are often called misfits, rebels, troublemakers, outsiders, geeks, socially awkward individuals, weirdos, the different ones, rude, impolite, and odd ones out.
Achieving results and spectacular failures
The dedication required to obtain results can be draining and painful. Willingness to sacrifice everything is essential.
But for some, it is natural to always go beyond the task at hand and go deep into the underlying principles of a subject matter and track down the hidden root causes.
The crazy ones see things more fully than everyone else. They refuse to shy away from uncomfortable consequences and are bold enough to insist on different solutions.
Most of the time, all efforts will fail. This is an inevitable statistic. Transformation is possible and change is possible on a regular basis only with constant dedication, within the right environment and at the right timing.
Successes will be celebrated with “by the end we trust them because we know they’re crazy”. Criticism of failures will take the form of “not a professional we can rely on”.
References
Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can praise them, disagree with them, quote them, disbelieve them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward. Maybe they have to be crazy. How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels? We make tools for these kinds of people. While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
Apple's "Think Different" commercial