I remember the time when I was much younger and the word radical was always equated with being a rebel, an outsider of sorts who refused to follow rules or conform to social norms.
Among my peers, nobody wanted to be called a radical by our teachers or anyone for that matter. Being on our best behaviour was preferred over the weight of that heavy label.
Fast forward to today, the same word has taken on a different meaning for me.
Similar to how the word cryptocurrency has been transformed in my mind from just a piece of speculative money to a mini-universe of decentralized possibilities.
For me, the first radical change came quietly, almost unnoticeable. It was a simple decision to question some of my inherited beliefs after reading 'Thinking, Fast and Slow' by Daniel Kahneman.
Like what's the point of accepting inherited traditions without understanding their true purpose?
For example, I had this assumption that success mostly entails climbing the corporate ladder as quickly as possible, but when it was examined thoroughly through multiple angles, I discovered another assumption that led to another(about happiness, about time, about what really matters in life, etc) and I began to follow this thread of dismantling and rebuilding a core aspect of my worldview at that time.
So much for reading one book that I thought would just improve my decision-making.
The very qualities that once made me feel like an outsider, such as my tendency to question or this inability to accept "because that's how it's always been done" turned out to be some my great strengths now.
I'm sure the teenage me who feared being labeled 'too different' would hardly recognize the adult me. Most often than not, profound growths we experience tends to entail taking a radical departure from the familiar.
I think it's really fascinating how words evolve in our collective consciousness.
Some examples, 'viral' transformed from something frightening to a marker of cultural success.
'Disruption' shifted from a negative business term to a celebrated form of innovation.
'Mindfulness' escaped its niche spiritual origins to become a mainstream tool for mental health.
'Organic' expanded from a simple scientific term to a lifestyle choice and perhaps, a moral statement.
The biggest of them all is probably the word 'social'. Now, it also encompasses huge digital networks of human connection instead of just in-person gatherings like before.
Like these concepts, I'd like to think that 'radical' has been redefined by the urgency of our times. It's mostly accepted that we live in a different era now.
An era where incremental changes prove insufficient. Because it doesn't match up with the unprecedented challenges we face.
Some of us are mildly freaking out on the transformation of work in an age where seeing the growth of AI models and infrastructure is making us question whether our current skills will be relevant tomorrow, or if we need to radically reinvent ourselves.
In this context, radical thinking leading to radical change has little to do with rebellion. But everything to do with the necessary response to a world evolving faster than our traditional solutions can handle.
In a way, we're also living in an age of originality, since radical change requires coming up with a few original thoughts, at least.
But I digress, now I'm far less hesitant to consume any content that's labeled as 'radical'. In fact, hearing or seeing the word spikes up my focus to be more attentive on what's being discussed.
Because I've gained this insight that tomorrow's common sense begins as today's radical thought.
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