Being stroppy

For malcontents too perverse to be contrarian like everyone else

March 4, 2022 — July 6, 2022

adaptive
collective knowledge
economics
evolution
game theory
networks
social graph
sociology

Content warning:

Links to and discussion of edgy people with perverse opinions on hot-button topics too diverse to mention but which surely include gender, eugenics, speech and religion

Notes on eccentrics, mavericks, outsider geniuses and fools. Stroppy people. Lacking an identifiable label so you show up in diversity metrics? Not sure whether you are rebelling against society, or conforming to a subgroup? How do you get by as a mad outsider? Will you be right twice a day? Do you want to find a rationale for people like you? How about that you are useful for innovation?

Figure 1

1 Crazy ideas are mostly wrong

Case studies?

2 Eccentricity and group context

For an interesting perspective on whether taking one for the team and being the house oddball is worthwhile, see Olga Khazan on Living and Flourishing While Being Weird (Khazan 2021).

Figure 2

3 Genius or madness?

For the really interesting cases, this question only works ex ante.

4 Interesting people

5 Incoming

Figure 3: Thanks Jim Benton
Figure 4

6 References

Georgi. 2022. Physics in a Diverse World or A Spherical Cow Model of Physics Talent.” arXiv:2203.09485 [Hep-Ph, Physics:hep-Th, Physics:physics].
Kashdan. 2021. The Art of Insubordination: How to Dissent and Defy Effectively.
Khazan. 2021. Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider World.
Page. 2008. The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies - New Edition.
Stephens, Rivera, and Townsend. 2020. “What Works to Increase Diversity? A Multi-Level Approach.” Research in Organizational Behavior.
Syed. 2020. Rebel Ideas: The Power of Diverse Thinking.