Why does society hate thinkers?
Have you seen the job adverts which say, “We want a self-starter: we want somebody who can think outside the box”?
And then they also say, “We need you to be a team player. And someone who has strong social skills, so that they can integrate into our team.”
Look, these things are contradictory.
They’re meant to be. Because in reality, no company wants somebody who thinks outside the box. That’s deeply upsetting for everybody who’s thinking inside the box.
Self-reflection is for others.
“Look, these things are contradictory.
They’re meant to be. Because in reality, no company wants somebody who thinks outside the box.”
What cobblers. Companies want original thinkers who are productive, but not clueless mavericks who cause problems.
In my area of education and training, we rewarded those creative people who could communicate ideas and skills in an appealing and effective way. But we didn’t want those who might damage learners, equipment, staff relations, reputation, or the bottom line. It’s a pretty wide area in which to operate.
Being able to get along in a team does not preclude thinking, unless you are Spud. Who of course can’t get along in any team larger than one and has yet to demonstrate the ability to think of anything or anyone but himself.
This is a lack of self awareness on an epic scale.
What a tool.
You need the creative types who have the good ideas AND the plodders who grind through the details necessary to make the idea work. The creative need to work with the plodder to get it done…hence teamwork.
That should be obvious.
That reminds me…if Starmer is truly the son of a toolmaker then that makes him a tool as well.
Do we think he should be thinking inside or outside the box?
I suppose it depends on where the box is buried.
A person who thinks outside the box can be a great team player as long as they don’t feel the need to ram their ideas down the throats of the other members in the team. That way team members can and will ask them for the solution to a problem safe in the knowledge that should they choose not to accept the solution for whatever reason they won’t be under constant attack.
I don’t really believe that he’s been looking at job adverts.
“Entry level job, must have X years’ paid commercial experience”
Oh no, is Murphy looking for a job? He must be; he never notices anything in the world that isn’t about himself. What new horrors will be inflicted on the world?
“ They’re meant to be. Because in reality, no company wants somebody who thinks outside the box. That’s deeply upsetting for everybody who’s thinking inside the box.”
No, what upsets people is when those free thinkers (self-described in his case) are obnoxious twats who won’t take the time out to explain to people in a pleasant way and see all criticism as a personal insult.
King Potato thinks he’s an original thinker who’s ideas are too intelligent for us poor slobs to understand. That’s obviously not true because he is in fact a very boring person whose ideas all boil down to MOAR TAX. Hells bells he even wrote a book called the Joy of tax. I can assure you that having had the misfortune to work in tax for the best part of 30 years , I dont know anyone who found it joyful. King potato is a boring monomaniac whose all life revovles round a fallacy.
Murphy thinks out of his tree.
Geoffers @ 9.27, “son of a toolmaker” should read, “son of a toolmaker who owned a toolmaking factory which exploited workers”.
And someone, as with others of his ilk, who benefitted from a Grammar school education but now seeks to deny others from enjoying the same opportunity.
A little pet peeve. Saying “thinking outside the box” is so trite that the one who says it is thinking inside the box.
Some of Murphy’s blogs (and the comments) are so side-splittingly funny (unintentionally) that before commencing to read, one should attach an incontinence pad to the nether regions to avoid an accident.
Spud reveals that he doesn’t understand what a contradiction is….
I can barely take 3 seconds of his youtube output, but would watch a drama scripted by Spud
Manager: “So what do you think of this new starter so far”
Engineer: “She’s a good worker so far, understands what we do well, seems to think she’s better than us though”
Manager: “How do you mean?”
Engineer: “She’s thinking outside the box. It’s really upset me.”
Manager: “In reality, no company wants someone who does that.”
Think outside the box: act inside the box.
Doing that at work can be grounds for dismissal!
You’ve all worked in wondrous places which are open to diverse ideas and it’s all taken and considered thoughtfully.
Everywhere I’ve worked, if you point out to senior management how retarded their plans are (and done carefully, not just throwing your toys out of the pram), your career in that company is finished.
Anything other than group think is roundly opposed in the majority of companies.
Working as a consultant (which I did from age 50 to 65), I’ve often had conversations similar to the following:
Me: You don’t seem to have many older employees.
Them: We don’t like to hire anyone over the age of 35. They just say things like: “We tried that at my last company and it didn’t work.*”
Me: That’s precisely why you need a few more older employees.
* should be followed by “because …”
They’re not contradictory, Murphy is just an unpleasant person of mediocre intellect.