“It is a sin to write this. It is a sin to think words no others think and to put them down upon a paper no others are to see. It is base and evil. It is as if we were speaking alone to no ears but our own. And we know well that there is no transgression blacker than to do or think alone. We have broken the laws. The laws say that men may not write unless the Council of Vocations bid them so. May we be forgiven!”
I am a big fan of novels, Fahrenheit 451 and Anthem. The dystopian universes described are always at the bleeding edge of becoming reality. Book burning for fear of knowledge and dissension, the deletion of ‘I’ and praise for collectivism rationale bubble up to the surface when the phrase “social media” is uttered in some companies.
dis-sen-sion n. Difference of opinion; disagreement. American Heritage Dictionary
Don’t be afraid. Embrace dissension.
- Seek dissension in your company and consumer forums.
- Connect with adversaries as well as advocates. Participate in conversations to seek full understanding of motivation and behavior of consumers.
- Distribute the information gathered from social media forums throughout your company. Shed light on the true feelings of your consumers. Those conversations taking place in dark corners lead to dark deeds and outcomes.
- Report back to the consumers accurate information and your plan of action.
- Vocalize and walk the talk.
Dissent is not negative. Change the context of how you think of dissent. Your company reputation is on the line. Discussion not always following the party line may raise corrective actions to concerns. Put meat on the bones of a great idea or stop bad execution in its tracks. Dissent will remove the rose colored glasses and reveal a broader understanding of how your company and consumer think and interact with each other. Novel concept.
February 15th, 2008 at 9:58 am
You’re absolutely right, dissent can and always will be a force for positive change.
But Anthem? Come on, Fahrenheit 451, that is a classic. But Anthem? Anthem may be one of the most trite, self serving and solipsist pieces of literature I have ever had the misfortune of reading. Yes, the world it presents is not dissimilar to the world that exists in many other dystopian novels, but Ayn Rand’s interpretation of the importance of the ego is so heavy-handed and overblown that it actually made me like some of her other books less that I did before reading Anthem.
What about Brave New World or 1984? Clockwork Orange anyone? Anything but Anthem.
Okay, rant about objectivist authors over.
February 21st, 2008 at 8:25 pm
[...] Fear of dissension can be conquered by establishing: [...]