The world needs boat rockers, those willing to challenge the status quo and push for change. However, it is not enough to simply oppose, anyone can be a nay-sayer, indeed there are those who have crafted an entire personality, indeed an identity around being contrarian, whose stands are more for show than substance, done more for the impact of the performance than for productivity. The difference between Constructive Foresight and Performative Contrarianism lies as much in intent as in content. Constructive Foresight springs from a sense of duty and stewardship vs an ego driven desire for attention or to signal intelligence, independence, or ‘maverick’ status.
While at first glance their actions may appear similar, on closer inspection, they quickly differ. The steward is willing to incur real personal cost: reputation, promotion, social capital in order to protect others, prevent failure or ensure a better future and provides well thought, cogent arguments and welcomes debate and readily adjusts to and accepts new information. The reflexive contrarian is ego driven, defaults to disagreement without constructive alternatives or deep analysis, goes quickly quiet if opposed by powerful forces that threaten harm.
Change, adaptation, growth and development are vital yet how to differentiate necessary change from change for change’s sake? That speaks to the essence of Critical Thinking Skills, to determine scientifically valid cost benefit ratios and, given that every yes is a no, to have a clear understanding of what we are saying no to.
Closing Quotes:
“If we want the new to have a chance, we must be willing to prune the old that no longer promises results.” – Peter Drucker, 1909-2005
“A bad system will beat a good person every time.” – W. Edwards Deming, 1900-1993, (Effective change targets systems, not superficial changes of personnel)
“When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?” – John Maynard Keynes, 1883-1946, (Smart change is evidence driven, accepts challenge)
“Change proceeds in fits and starts, through partial solutions and unintended consequences.” – Albert Hirschman, 1915-2012, (Any serious change initiative expects and prepares for difficulty; only charlatans promise effortless results)
“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on the unreasonable man.” – George Bernard Shaw, 1856-1950, Man and Superman (1903)
As always, I share what I most want and need to learn. – Nathan S. Collier
Note: Every effort has been made to properly source any 3rd person material. I am, however, a voracious reader. If anyone finds any unattributed material, pls let me know asap and I will be delighted to give credit where credit is due.
“All intelligent thoughts have already been thought; what is necessary is only to try to think them again.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1749-1832
