When Unconventional Wisdom Prevails: The Power of Contrarian Thinking

“In matters of morality, success, politics, religion and sex, conventional wisdom is usually inexpedient.” – Michael Haupt

“No one is thinking if everyone is thinking alike.” – Porter B. Williamson

Conventional Wisdom is an Oxymoron (conjoined contradictory terms, as in 'deafening silence').

The century before last, Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain) famously broke with conventional wisdom on the subject of eggs and baskets. In Pudd’nhead Wilson, he recommended carrying all your eggs in one basket—and guarding that basket closely!

Such is the nature of contrarian thinking: seeing black when others see white, opportunity instead of failure.

In many ways, contrarian thinkers are like comedians: they test boundaries and challenge the status quo. Most comedy relies upon the exposition of absurdity. Something only becomes absurd when it stands out dramatically from its surroundings, or differs greatly from what is expected or anticipated; in other words, when it contrasts. Contrast is therefore inherent to the nature of comedy, and contrarian thinking.

That could very well be why the ideas of contrarian thinkers can sometimes sound so… well… absurd. But there’s a fine line between ridiculous and brilliant. And often enough, the differing view put forward by a counterintuitive thinker sheds much-needed light on an institutional blind spot.  We all have a blind spot (or several), which is why the world finds itself in the circumstances we do.  Albert Einstein said it best:

“The world we have made as a result of the level of thinking we have done thus far creates problems we cannot solve at the same level of thinking at which we created them.” — Albert Einstein

We’re all painfully aware of the problems of this world:

• Crumbling economies;
• Global warming;
• Diminishing resources;
• Loss of biodiversity;
• Deforestation;
• Worldwide poverty and disease, and;
• The potential for future global conflict.

We’re also aware of the many causes and efforts under way to address these problems.  Sadly, few of them will succeed.  If Einstein was correct, and I suspect he might have been, what is needed is a radically new level of thinking – one which addresses the root cause of our maladies, instead of addressing only the symptoms, the way modern medicine does with most ailments.  I’ve attempted to find the root cause(s) in The 2012 Manifesto.

Like left-handed people, contrarian thinkers are in the minority (they really must be, by definition). But just like in baseball, these uncommon professionals often provide disproportionate value, if only due to their irregular perspective. The percentage of left-handed pitchers in the major leagues, for example, is far greater than the overall percentage of left-handed people in the general population; a fact that has persisted for decades. Where there’s that much smoke, there must be some fire.

So, my thinking might make you a little uncomfortable.  I hope you will celebrate this discomfort.  It could be an interesting ride…