To innovate is create something new, but if it’s truly a brand new idea (think ‘man can fly’ or ‘sound can travel through the air and come out of a machine’, known later as the radio), it’s likely that the innovator will experience philosopher Schopenhauer’s ‘formula’ regarding the truth.
The innovator will experience ridicule, violent opposition and finally a ‘yeah, so, what’s the big deal?’ (that’s soooo self-evident) response.
For people trying to bring something new and unique to the marketplace, innovation can be truly stressful.
Listening to the radio today, I heard that Berlioz (a composer), upon hearing Beethoven’s 7th Symphony, said that it proved that Beethoven was fit for nowhere but the madhouse.
I think most musicians today would respond to that comment with ‘huh?’. (The 7th is beautiful, if you have some free time to listen to it.) But it was new for the time. It was harmonically challenging and therefore ridiculed.
Have you ever tried something new (love to hear about it if you’d like to share!), something as simple as a new hairstyle or as monumental as creating a new product, and experienced ridicule?
If so, don’t worry: all you need to get through is violent opposition and then you’ll be fine!
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