A Purple Cow Thought

I've been reading Seth Godin's "Purple Cow" and have really liked some of the interesting thoughts I have come across. The following is one that I particularly enjoyed.

We run our schools like factories. We line kids up in straight rows, put them in batches (called grades), and work very hard to make sure there are no defective parts. Nobody standing out, falling behind, running ahead, making a ruckus.

Playing it safe. Following the rules. Those seem like the best ways to avoid failure. And in school, they may very well be. Alas, these rules set a pattern for most people (like your boss?), and that pattern is awfully dangerous. These are the rules that ultimately lead to failure.

In a crowded marketplace, fitting in is failing. In a busy marketplace, not standing out is the same as being invisible.

So true! No wonder so many of the kids who didn't do well in school have become the most brilliant inventors and most successful people in history!