Even Rebels Follow the Script: The New Conformity of Heterodox Thinking
Source: read.lukeburgis.com
- Heterodox thinkers - those who reject mainstream views - have become predictable themselves, forming exclusive clubs and circuits that function as their own orthodoxy.
- There's now a recognizable "brand" to being heterodox, complete with podcast appearances, conference invitations, and membership in groups like Heterodox Academy.
- True intellectual independence requires breaking free from the social pressure to conform to any established group, even groups that claim to champion free thinking.
The article argues that heterodoxy - the practice of holding unconventional or dissenting views - has paradoxically become its own form of orthodoxy. What started as a genuine movement toward intellectual diversity and open debate has calcified into a predictable subculture with its own rules, gatekeepers, and acceptable opinions. The author explores how even rebels and nonconformists can fall into conformity traps.