1. It says one should lead a balanced life. Who defines that balance? And what the hell does it mean?
2. It is not wisdom. It is just convention. And convention often boils down to doing things the way they have always been done simply because they are done that way.
3. It is a set of quasi rules established by anonymous people. One of the “rule makers” established the idea that “it is not healthy to be a workaholic.” Well, what is a workaholic? What if I find work to be one of my great passions? Should I cut it off in midstream at a certain appointed hour because someone else believes I should leave time in my life for sitcoms?
4. It says adults should “act our age.” But it’s often far more fun and creative and insightful to act like a child. So you act your age and I’ll follow my own drummer.
5. It says we should care what other people think of us. Why? If I worry about them, I am living by their compass not my own. Madison Avenue hates me for writing Your Marketing Sucks. For suggesting that ROI is more important than aesthetics. Should I have the books burned and drop my work on a sequel? I don’t think so. But conventional thinking does.
6. It believes in the value of consensus. But that’s just another word for “committee.” And committees are where people with few ideas and zero guts to carry things out, hide. (Think U.N.)
7. It says greed is bad. But everyone is greedy. Some are just better at getting what they want. Is the guy hoping to get the state lottery to pay him $10 million any less greedy than Bill Gates, who made it and is now giving it all away?
8. It says that everyone should get a college education. I believe education is exhilerating but some of the wisest people in the world are college drop-outs. For the most part, schools teach you to memorize. Life, work, mentors: if you watch and listen, they teach you how things really work.
9. It says all people are created equal. Nonsense. Everyone deserves respect and the opportunity to excel to their highest capability, but born equal no. Some are driven, others are passive. Some are brilliant, others are not even close. Some are physically beautiful, others can radiate enough electricity to light a stadium and others …..well they’re just others. God bless them all but let’s not pretend they’re equal.
10. It says everyone deserves a steady job and a comfortable retirement. But some of us want neither. We want adventure, risk and the right to drop dead trying to create some form of magic.
Mark Stevens
CEO
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[...] then there was the always insightful Mark Stevens, who explained why he despises conventional wisdom: It is not wisdom. It is just convention. And convention often boils down to doing things the way [...]