The heretic serves as the immune system of ideas. They test the boundaries. They stress-test the consensus. When the consensus cracks under the pressure of a heretic’s question, it was not a strong consensus. When the consensus bends and holds, it grows stronger.
For those who have returned from that house, let’s talk about why Heretic has lingered in my mind like a half-remembered nightmare.
The responsible heretic adheres to three principles:
