The seed haunted by the sun never fails to find its way between the stones in the ground. And the pure logician, if no sun draws him forth, remains entangled in his logic. I shall not forget the lesson taught me by my enemy himself. What direction should the armored column take to invest the rear of the enemy? Nobody can say. What should the armored column be for this purpose? It should be weight of sea pressing against dike.
What ought we do? This. That. The contrary of this or that. There is no determinism that governs the future. What ought we be? That is the essential question, the question that concerns spirit and not intelligence. For spirit impregnates intelligence with the creation that is to come forth. And later, intelligence is brought to the bed of creation. How should man go about building the first ship ever known? Very complicated, this. The ship will be born of a thousand errors and fumblings. But what should man be to build the first ship? Here I seize the problem of creation at the root. Merchant. Soldier. In love with the prospect of faraway lands. For then of necessity designers and builders will be born of that love. They will drain the energy of workmen and one day launch a ship. What should we do the annihilate a forest? The question is not easy. What be? Obviously, a forest fire.
–Antoine de St-Exupery, Flight to Arras (1942)
(The above quote is one of a thread of 54 Worth Pondering posts at Photon Courier–the thread starts here)
I was reminded of this passage by two Bill Waddell posts: today’s post, The Difference Between Leading and Wonking:
http://www.evolvingexcellence.com/blog/2012/10/the-difference-between-leading-and-wonking.html
and
Disruptive Management:
http://www.evolvingexcellence.com/blog/2012/09/disruptive-management.html
As an innovator I can tell you that inventing a ship is the easy part. However, when people realize that you are building a ship they will come up with a 1000 reasons why a ship should never be built.
The hard part of innovation is creating something that never existed in spite of very logical opposition.
eg. Should we cut down these trees to build your ship? Someone could build many homes for the poor and homeless with these trees.
Won’t your ship put many porters out of work?
There be sea monsters that will capture your ship and eat the crew.