Some Thoughts on Freedom of Ideas
James Clear wrote-
“If you met someone exactly like yourself ...
- same experience
- same resources
- same problems... what advice would you give them?”
I stopped posting on Facebook a while back. I did so because I believe in the importance of free speech and it was getting too political. Too many zealots miraculously giving birth to a cow over nothing.
I don’t like to get into politics and that’s not what this is about. It’s far more fundamental for me, and anyone who’s known me for decades, understands how I think about free thoughts and ideas. I’ve never posted much on Instagram or Twitter either, but all for different reasons. It’s just not for me.
I believe that free thinking is one of the most important components to an advancing society. I feel the same way about it in business. Suppress free thinking in a company, and it devolves. Without free thinking, ideas can’t be challenged, science can’t be advanced, and we stop learning in just about every corner where that free thought is suppressed.
Science is wrong over and over and without challenging it, we’d never get at the right answers. Someone has to poke at assumptions. There is no such thing as “settled science” it’s always revealing new secrets. It’s why I love science.
Freedom of speech allows us to examine and challenge our own assumptions and double-standards.
As most of my friends know, I’m a huge Quora fan. I’m a strong contributor and when I’m not writing on Quora, I love reading about world history by some of the most accurate historians around. Read enough about world historical events, and you see patterns emerge, that whenever free speech is curtailed, tyranny steps in. Don’t believe me?
First, do a search of the definition of “inquisition” so we’re on the same page and so this isn’t seen as something political. It’s just an example. Then, Wikipedia the term “inquisition” and start reading. Poke at a few of those links. Examine most of the world conflicts and research any tyrannical leader who destroyed a society. It’s always been about advancing one idea while killing everyone who disagrees.
Take a little stroll down history lane and read what happened to those who first said the world was round. It was a lot of smart people suppressing new ideas. It didn’t go well for those who dared to say it was round. Read about the mass hysteria of the Salem Witch Trials. They were not dumb people. It’s just that rational thought was suppressed in favor of mass lunacy. Nobody spoke up.
If you want to do even more, read about the French Revolution and why the guillotine was invented in the first place. It’s entire purpose was to speed up executions. People just stood by.
Take a look at how Nazis came into power, and how Pol Pot, and other dictators rose to wipe out millions while the whole world stood by and did almost nothing. You can point in any direction in the world and find a history of a society that fell under the suppression of thoughts and ideas.
When the concentration camps were liberated in WWII, Germans asked how it could happen right under their noses. It’s easy when you stifle speech. We may not like what some people say, but we can tune it out. We don’t have to listen. But with no voice to raise objections, society eventually crumbles.
I had a science teach when I was in grade school. Yes, grade school, who taught is that the suppression of thought only happens to give fruit to a bad idea. I’ve never forgotten that concept. It’s been a part of my thinking since the day I heard it. Mr. Wassser taught us kids to question everything.
I know that the best run companies preserve and encourage debate. This is how they get to the most creative ideas and build brilliant companies. I also know that companies that suppress thoughts and ideas led to some of the largest corporate corruption the world has ever seen. Think of the biggest corporate environmental disasters and you will find the squelching of the very voices who thought there was a problem. Again, let Quora and Wikipedia be your guide on this. Don’t just take my word for it.
I think what some companies are doing is going to be harmful to the long-term interests of our society, regardless of your political ideology. I suspect they are doing it, not because they care about you or me, but because of the influence they want to have on the world stage. It is Orwellian. All without accountability from anyone, even you. I fear a company that suppresses ideas, inside and out, and I feel the same way about government, regardless of what political ideology you follow.
Now, if all this gets your undies in a bunch, then you’re probably sitting on a weak premise and somewhere in your gut, you probably know it.