At this point, I might be experiencing tunnel vision, seeking evidence only to reinforce my own beliefs. Despite being fully aware of this tendency in my thinking, I came across this podcast by Andrew Huberman with Marc Andreessen.
They discussed the concept of “Disagreeableness,” a term I learned just today. To be an innovator, possessing this trait is essential; otherwise, one can easily be swayed by the majority.
Consequently, the world often resists innovation, especially during the ideation phase. Precisely as they pointed out, it’s a lonely path—much like what I observed in Aversion. One must have a high capacity for delayed gratification, seeing results that might (or might not) materialize many years later.
“Clustering” is a strategy people often adopt to amplify their drive. It’s more likely for someone to innovate when surrounded by others striving for similar breakthroughs. This is one reason many tech startups want to be based in the US. However, it’s not always beneficial to surround oneself with like-minded individuals. In a homogeneous social circle, it’s easy to fall into Group Think, where all ideas seem to converge, at least locally. Given that most people have some level of disagreeableness, they might paradoxically become agreeable within a context of collective contrariness.