#askingforafriend

Can you cook bacon with a hair straightener? #askingforafriend

The above seriously made me think about the execution and outcome of this gourmet interpretation. But something else too - “The fundamental cause of the trouble is that in the modern world the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt”¹ . Clearly I found this quote on The Internet - the holy sanctuary of all knowledge - but if there’s one thing you won’t find that’s everyone agreeing on something. Google it, tweet it, post it on Reddit and see what happens… So, have we ourselves, chosen to drop the privilege to not know and consequently inquire in favour of the convenience of anonymous internet knowledge? Have we numbed the voice of curiosity because of a stigma looming over our self-confidence or reputation? Are we getting away with sharing failure but not success? And are we doing all that as a precaution or as protection?

A little late prelude to this post: I recently spent three days researching all symptoms I had, figured a potential diagnosis or five and all this before going to see the doctor. After less than ten minutes in his office I walked out without having asked a single question and with no in-depth understanding of the case. I was nevertheless pleased with myself as I managed to demonstrate how well read I am. Did I doubt the doctor’s competence? - No. Did I actually manage to identify my condition? - Almost. Did I feel better about myself being smart and all? - Yes.

I believe perception of the self is absolutely crucial in all aspects of life but especially at times we begin something new. Positive perception and praise have the power to build as opposed to negative perception and shame that destroy. Hence the catchphrase fake it till you make it that to some seems to serve its purpose so well. However bright and lustrous the surface, a hollow core would hardly help anyone disrupt the status quo. When talking about disruptive innovation, opinions are all we ask for - colourful, honest, genuine opinions and ideas attached to faces. We can not afford to lose your and our time fishing out the potentially good stuff from a conventional shared bowl. We like to recognise and celebrate success (which is in fact another blog post in the oven) and strongly encourage everyone who wants to innovate do so too. If there is the slightest doubt that the stigma of curiosity is heavy upon your initiative, don’t start it (yet) - it will not be the success story you want to write! Think it through, talk about it, have each other’s backs. Neither failure nor success are a lonely game when it comes to innovating, but the more tempted you are to play safe, the less attractive player you become.

¹ “The Triumph of Stupidity”, Bertrand Russell