# Conservatism Stymies Progress Often times tradition and conservatism prevents us from innovating (what will the neighbors think?). We spend too much time obsessing about how other people perceive us, and are thus bound to mediocrity. Instead, you should screw what people think, and how much they will judge you or disagree with you, and you should make a coldhearted calculation about what option will give you the best possibility of success, and then you should take it. > 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 Malcolm Gladwell has some good sports examples of underhanded free throws ([[The Big Man Can't Shoot]]) and from hokey ([[Malcolm Gladwell's 12 Rules for Life]]).