David Brooks: What Life Asks of us

Agreed, interesting article.

Not to make this into a baseball discussion, but the cynic in me says that Ryne Sandberg also wasn't very successful in his career from a wins/losses standpoint (only made the playoffs once in 17 years and never won a championship).

Compare that to some other teams of recent, the Oakland A's and Anaheim Angels. Both have been very, very successful this decade, despite employing philosophies that completely challenge the conventional way of playing baseball (Oakland with its moneyball approach, the Angels through their hyper-aggressive baserunning). Much, much more success than Sandberg.

Do I feel its possible to be successful while employing the 'institutional' methods that one is taught? Yes. But this article did nothing to convince me that conformity is something that should always be challenged. Though there are pitfalls to this (as Brooks accurately points out within recent banking scandals), I feel they are far less than what would be missed out on if everyone pursued 'institutional' approaches.

*Disclaimer: This is from someone who is not a fan/hater of any of the aforementioned teams.