Iconoclast - Gregory Berns

The dictionary (http://www.thefreedictionary.com) definition of an Iconoclast:
iconoclast [aɪˈkɒnəˌklæst]
n
1. a person who attacks established or traditional concepts, principles, laws, etc.

But the general understanding from this book (at least for me) is that an iconoclast is someone who breaks through barriers (both internal and external) and sells his Idea to make an impact on the society (for the betterment of the society) and, of course, makes some money and success in the bargain!

Gregory Berns is a leading Neuroeconomist and the Distinguished Chair of Neuroeconomics at Emory University, where he is a professor in the department of Psychiatry and Economics! In this latest book, 'Iconoclast', Mr. Berns explains an iconoclast's ability to think outside the box (I tried to avoid this cliché) through the brain's biological functions and tells us how to harness these powers -including an appendix (Iconoclast's Pharmacopeia) on drugs that can enhance the iconoclastic powers! – this appendix, I specially found to be very interesting!

What makes this book even more interesting is that, Mr. Berns connects these theories to the many real life iconoclasts (including Florence Nightingale, Jackie Robinson, the Dixie Chicks, Pablo Picasso, Richard Feynman and Steve Jobs) and provides valuable insights around the central theme of the book.

Many books are termed as life changing (probably for the author :) ) and this is such a book. According to Mr. Berns; an iconoclast has three traits that differentiate them from the others:
1. Will view things differently - perception
2. Overcome their fear of failure - Fear factor
3. Have great social skills - Network

View things differently: Brain runs on very little power (around 40 watts -if you must know) and hence will conserve power wherever possible. In the process of this conservation, our brain uses perception gained from experiences to form ideas; so to think differently (like an icon) we need to avoid these brain shortcuts and bombard the brain with new information, change in routines and novel experiences.

Overcome the fear factor: Novel experiences stimulate the fear factor in us and we need to overcome this fear to succeed, fear is a major success inhibitor. The author describes options to overcome (rewire the brain) this stress, by accepting (preconditioning), by avoiding unpleasant associations (blocking) and by developing a don’t care attitude (develop a thick skin). Even a short physical stress (exercise) can be used to overcome long term mental stress.

Learn to network: Developing and nurturing good ideas is not sufficient, one must sell these ideas to others and this can be achieved through strong networking skills (Picasso Vs van Gogh). One has to build a social network with the realization that the brain works in a 'tit for tat' basis (a good deed will be reciprocated), maintain a good reputation and constantly being in touch with the social network (breed familiarity).

This is it… three traits that can make you an icon. Are there only these 3 differences between an iconoclast and an aspirant? I don't think so, but these are some good starting points for the Icon to be!

The book drags a bit in the middle, but as mentioned earlier, the relative stories from the lives of icons makes it interesting and keeps us going (including Dixie Chicks as one of icons was stretching it a bit far).

Some good quotes from the book:
-Perception is a process that is learned through experience, which is both a curse and an opportunity for change. P. 8
-Unfamiliarity forces the brain to discard its usual categories of perception and create new ones. P. 33
-The more radical and novel the change, the greater the likelihood of new insights being generated. To think like an iconoclast, you need novel experiences. P. 57-58.
-The critical fears that inhibit people from sharing their ideas: the fear of being rejected. At its core, this fear has its origin in social pressure, which is one of the most common of human phobias. Pp.77-78
-Groups that allow for minority opinions are statistically more likely to make better decisions than groups that require unanimity. P.103
-A group with a lot of diversity among its members is more likely to arrive at a good decision than a group that is composed of members who are alike. P.104.
-The brain is lazy. It changes only when it has to. And the conditions that consistently force the brain to rewire itself are when it confronts something novel. Novelty equals learning, and learning means physical rewiring of the brain. P. 199.