gistfile1.md

Chapter 3

Summary

• Taboos: Smart people are more willing to consider shocking ideas. This doesn't necessarily mean that they should share them directly with everyone.

  In any period, it should be easy to figure out what such labels are, simply by looking at what people call ideas they disagree with other than untrue.

• Everyone carries a set of prescribed actions based upon cultural/social norms.

• You should have opinions that some people would find contentious, as it's doubtful that our era has gotten everything right. Question things, ideas, and fashions; discover their origin and to ask if they make sense.

  It would be like... everyone claiming they had independently decided in 1972 that bell-bottom jeans were a good idea.

Shocking Ideas

• Rules of conformity seem to not apply to the 'crazy ones.'
• To fight against things that you think should be said but are not permitted is not worth doing unless you truly care about the topic in question. The point is to do what you want to do, not say what you want to say.

Unanswered Questions

• In some ways, Paul's attitude of asking questions and being curious seems innate and can't quite be learned.
• In an ideal world, would we all be saying exactly what we think? Isn't it better that we don't, and that we have moral fashions to keep us in check?
• Psychological research has shown that, to decrease cognitive dissonance, saying thoguhts out loud causes you to believe the idea. How do you avoid moral fashions if you're holding controversial opinions and not voicing them?

Objections/Disagreements

• Graham states that those who don't have opinions they would be reluctant to express in front of their peers most likely think whatever they're told. I think there are certainly people who are comfortable expressing their views anywhere and anytime who do daring, interesting and thought-leading work.
• What about things like racism. Sure, looking at the times, we think that slavery is terrible, but I truly don't think that this is a pendulum swinging. This is something that won't revert. Hopefully other topics become less touchy, though, otherwise we will be a world full of the biggest pansies in history.

Key Takeaways

• Ask questions and be curious, but be wise in expressing your thoughts and opinions to others. Hacker culture seems to be a safe place to present dissenting ideas, but this is not true in every culture.

• All societies are normalized and full of unspoken faux pas, but norms are not static and changes as society changes.