Everyone agrees with average

I have been in a lot of meetings lately and over my lifetime, many, many more. When it comes to developing ideas and getting agreement to go forward, the safe bet is to put forward average thoughts because that is what is going to get consensus. When it comes to significantly disrupting an industry however, average isn't going to cut it.

The reason all agree to average is because it is safe, it doesn't push any envelope and it is known, therefore it doesn't move very far along the normal distribution curve. And, when all agree it shares the risk equally, fail together unanimously. Safety in numbers.

In my limited experience when it comes to investing, safe is low yield. Is anyone looking for a low yield return on Steem? Well, that is possible of course too with 20% Steem increase quite easy to get through curation alone. Of course, the value of that Steem might change significantly and from this point, it could be a mammoth gain or, a bit of a loss.

While there is wisdom in groups, there is also a great deal of stupid as well as groupthink, siloing, echo-chambering, peer pressure, herd mentality and social panic. It is easy to get caught up in the riot and start throwing trash cans through windows and over turning cars and while some people think that that is how to get large changes made, at what cost?

But, that is another case again perhaps but again in my experience, when everyone thinks that the future is certain, that is when they have bowed to the social pressure, confirmation bias groups encourage and miss the possibility and potential of uncertainty. The more I see that the average move away from something in the early stages, the more likelihood I see that thing having a future bandwagon adoption.

One of the things with Steem of course is that while it is a complex system, it has the ability to attract people who aren't investors, aren't developers and aren't necessarily looking to expose themselves to risk and, this place does make one feel exposed. With so many different types her it is natural that there is going to be a lot of fear, no matter what way things move and due to the nature of the platform, it is natural that people will voice their concerns. This is one of the great things about Steem, it is also one of the drawbacks.

I am fortunate in many ways here as I have been able to find people that I trust to fill in the knowledge gaps I am missing, the holes that when circumstances approach them, I don't have a habit or solution for and therefore, fear can creep in. These people have experience in different areas and while I completely understand that nothing is certain and they are fallible also, I am able to leverage a wide selection of their experiences and take the temperature of the situation. Yes, they can all be wrong too and as I said in the last post, I have not invested anything I am unwilling to lose completely in the chance of seeing where it leads.

Trust is an interesting thing as trust is actually about probability and confidence, not in the thing that is trusted, but in the evaluation of the thing that is trusted. People say "you broke my trust.." but the end of the sentence should be, ".. in my own ability to evaluate well." But, because people don't want to wear the cost to ego of judging poorly, they project it onto others and demand that it is someone else's fault. We each have the responsibility to wear our actions and what we put our trust in is a personal act.

This is the life of early adoption isn't it? Facing the criticism and ridicule of crowds who are too conservative to expose themselves to risks, dealing with the voiced fear and doubts of those who are second guessing their choices and evaluations and of course, managing the emotional self to understand the feelings and process objectively, rather than with blind reactivity to whatever the crowd does. Trailblazers are leaders, those chasing will always be followers.

Once upon a time I dreamed of being a jazz musician as the freedom of the notes was bound by an understanding of the most complex facets of music itself, the peak of the art form. I however do not play an instrument and, likely never will. I hear the music though, and just like abstract art, it isn't for everyone.

This is how I see Steem in some way, an art form with musicians working out the rules of the music only to find more creative ways to break them and still have it flow, still be confined as music rather than noise. It is an orchestra that do not get to practice together often though and while they all want to play a tune, each wants that tune to satisfy their instrument, their core, their soul.

I believe that one day the various pieces of the band will come together and will play off each other, collaborate to blend sounds and make the space for others to play their solos. While members may come and go, possibilities are opened up as new instruments are introduced to make all new combinations of sounds and new expressions and takes on what was. Not every part of the music attracts every person but when their piece comes on, they feel it.

Everyone is looking for Steem to mainstream but in many ways, it will be like turning on the radio and hearing the auto-tuned voices of faces that have all been chosen for their ubiquity and expected acceptance by the crowd. However, in a decentralized and free ecosystem, there will always be the chance for communities of musicians to come together and jam away on the fringes of society. And occasionally, they will be the next big thing and be adopted by the masses.

While the masses want agreements and security from leaders, some are out making their own path, whistling their own tune. Occasionally, their note harmonizes with the voice of another and something new comes about. I don't know what will take Steem mainstream in the end but the fun is in finding out what each of us is capable of and what we can add to this world of ours.

The thoughts of the masses brings nothing new to the table.

A stream of thoughts before bed. Goodnight.

Taraz
[ a Steem original ]