But it’s not easy, because every group, in every society, organically develops its own heresies – things you cannot say without consequences.
For example, here are some heresies common in the Silicon Valley startup community:
* Heresy: “Government regulations are, on the whole, a net force for the good of humanity.”
* Heresy: “All entrepreneurs in the US owe much their success to past government spending on infrastructure and education, so they should be personally taxed at high rates to repay their enormous debt to society.”
* Heresy: “High redistribution of wealth via government spending is necessary for sustaining economic growth.”
* Heresy: “Silicon Valley is an exclusionary club, not a meritocracy.”
Proclaiming any of these things, say, at a dinner party with startup CEOs, is socially equivalent to jumping on top of the table, pulling your pants down, and passing gas. In fact, the latter may be more socially acceptable -- it's less threatening to the startup zeitgeist.