A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. - Ralph Waldo Emerson, "Self Reliance"
This has been one of my favorite sayings since I was a teenager. Back then, I was reading stuff like Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, and Emerson's message of nonconformity and finding one's own path in life resonated deeply with me. As I have gotten older, and have dedicated my life to working with and studying entrepreneurs, Emerson's words strike me as describing the exact opposite mindset to that of a real entrepreneur. Entrepreneurs almost be definition do not follow the beaten path. This is not because they are "counter-culture" or "non-conformist," but because they don't think like other people. Entrepreneurs do not see this inconsistent behavior as risky because they have a strong belief in what they are doing. What would be intolerable to them is following the same consistent path that everyone else does. So they are deliberately inconsistent. Does that make them foolish?
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