Clear Thinking

Currently reading Clear Thinking by Shane Parrish. Enjoying the book very much and not just because it makes you think but also for the footnotes (I'm a fan) including this one:

Perhaps not surprisingly, the simple act of clapping has been used and abused by leaders throughout history. Professional clappers, called a claque, would often be positioned in theaters in opera houses. Claques have been used since at least the emperor Nero, whose performance was often applauded by thousands of soldiers. Once a few people star clapping, our social default takes hold and we find ourselves, much like I did, clapping without knowing why.

As Warren Buffett says a single lemming never gets bad PR. As they say in business, "No one ever got fired for buying Cisco." Or as one of Parrish's points states:

• "While we need divergence from the norm to make progress, not all divergence is advantageous."
• "Best practices aren't always the best. By definition they're average."
• "Fear holds us back from taking risks and reaching our potential."
• "Success requires shamelessness. So does failure."

Remember, you need to be right to be successful.

Or as Parrish writes about Princeton professor Robert George asking students if they'd have been abolitionists during the time of slavery and surprise they all said they would have been abolitionists. He doesn't come out and say it but this too was an example of some going along to get along. 

Book has been well worth the read so far. I recommend it.