Do you love having your mind blown?
Me too.
I learned the word iconoclast in college, and I loved the word instantly. It describes a person who attacks cherished beliefs and institutions.
I was familiar with the concept. My dad wrote a column for a major newspaper for 26 years in which he delighted in attacking cherished beliefs and institutions. He received hate mail regularly, got a few death threats, and was sued by a local politician for libel. The lawsuit was thrown out in three courts. None of it seemed to bother my dad much. He said it was part of the job.
While most fathers may worry if their kids break rules, my dad worried if his daughters followed them too readily. My straight-A report cards caused him some stress.
He was proud of me, but he was a tireless advocate for people thinking for themselves, and he didn’t detect a high priority for that in the school system.
In the end, my dad’s values wore off on me because I’m nearly constantly seeking a state of cognitive dissonance. That’s the mental discomfort experienced when a person simultaneously holds two or more contradictory beliefs, ideas, or values.
Caution: New Ideas May Shake Your Worldview
Just as fish don’t realize they’re swimming in water because they’re immersed in it, we can lose sight of the peculiarities and injustices in the culture and systems we’re immersed in.
That’s why it’s important to pay attention to outside-the-box thinkers, especially during polarizing times. Here are a few original thinkers who have challenged and shaped my thinking over the past decades.
- Susun Weed
Who she is: An herbalist, author, and women’s health advocate
Why her work may shift your worldview: She articulates an empowering approach to health that she calls the Wise Woman Tradition, which focuses on nourishment, simple and easily accessible remedies, and honoring nature’s cycles. She’s critical of many popular alternative medical treatments, including essential oils, elimination diets, and cleanses.
A good introduction to her work: This article
- Katy Bowman
Who she is: A biomechanist and author
Why her work may shift your worldview: She explains how sedentary our society is and how it affects our bodies, our worldview, our nutrient levels, and most of our modern scientific research. She offers an antidote with an extensive library of exercise programs, books, interviews, and educational materials.
A good introduction to her work: This video
- Dr. Christiane Northrup
Who she is: A OBGYN, author, and women’s health advocate
Why her work may shift your worldview: She’s been a female pioneer in the male-dominated world of women’s health care for decades. She articulates an empowering view of health care that emphasizes the wisdom of women’s bodies and natural cycles and rhythms. She’s critical of many standard preventative medical tests and writes about normal and healthy but taboo female experiences, such as menstruation and menopause.
A good introduction to her work: This blog post
- Satish Kumar
Who he is: A philosopher, magazine editor, and university co-founder
Why his work may shift your worldview: He articulates a worldview that emphasizes slowing down, using your hands to make beautiful things, growing food, and syncing with natural cycles.
A good introduction to his work: This interview
- Charles Eisenstein
Who he is: An author and speaker who describes himself as a degrowth activist
Why his work may shift your worldview: He writes about the problems with our current cultural narrative and the need to develop a new story that reflects the “more beautiful world our hearts know is possible.” He’s real and vulnerable and displays an expansive knowledge of diverse subjects.
A good introduction to his work: This video
- Dr. Kelly Brogan
Who she is: A psychiatrist, author, and activist
Why her work may shift your worldview: She has an empowering view of mental health care and believes people have the power to heal even the most complicated of mental health conditions. She’s moved into alternative care but continues to write case studies for mainstream medical journals.
A good introduction to her work: This interview
- Diana Beresford Kroeger
Who she is: An author, medical biochemist, and botanist
Why her work may shift your worldview: She invites people to form a new relationship with nature by merging scientific knowledge with ancient spiritual wisdom.
A good introduction to her work: This interview
- Robin Wall Kimmerer
Who she is: A plant ecologist, author, and professor
Why her work may shift your worldview: As a member of the Potawatomi nation, she merges scientific knowledge with indigenous wisdom to offer innovative solutions to ecological problems. She moves beyond a conservation approach and embraces humans’ important role in healthy ecosystems.
A good introduction to her work: This interview
- Jeremy Narby
Who he is: An anthropologist and author
Why his work may shift your worldview: He went to the Peruvian Andes to study the Ashaninca Indians as an anthropologist with a doctorate from Stanford. What he experienced there profoundly changed his worldview, and it may shake yours too.
A good introduction his work: This interview
- Alfie Kohn
Who he is: An author and speaker
Why his work may shift your worldview: He’s critical of mainstream education’s fixation with competition, punishment, rewards, testing, and homework. He champions parenting and teaching without using rewards or punishments.
A good introduction to his work: This article
Which Noncomformists Have Shattered or Shaped Your Thinking?
I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
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- 6 Books That Could Change Your Outlook on Life
- 7 Video Projects That Could Change Your Outlook on Life
[Photo credit: Powderruns]