On Disruption

I know we weren't talking about Elon Musk, but....

In Webster’s, the definition of the phrase “to disrupt” is as follows: “to drastically alter or destroy the structure of something, as in ‘alcohol can disrupt the chromosomes of an unfertilized egg.’” Synonyms are words like these: distort, damage, buckle, and warp.

It happens that one of the most important phrases used to describe current business innovation is this same…“to disrupt.” Disruption allows the ruinous takeovers of new inventive companies by others, for the purpose of appropriating technologies that they themselves did not have the imagination to invent: Tesla, for example. Meta. X.

It’s sometimes a matter of what is called “corporate consolidation,” a bland-enough term, one would think. Harmless. Sensible. The disruption involved, though, comes about with a satisfied grumble of self-congratulation and triumph from those in senior management who have destroyed something else for their own benefit.

But disruption does no one any good when it comes to the advancement of ideas. All it does is destroy. Yes, you get to pump up your chest when you’ve stolen available fresh thinking and imagination. But because there is little attention given to cooperative back and forth, the sharing of ideas, or the furtherance of the human soul, disruption is a rejection of the soul and a thumbing of the nose at it.

This is, of course, a distinctly male undertaking. And although the phrase “to disrupt” is the current business terminology of choice, it comes from a very traditional idea: the development of monopolies and trusts…of fascist and other forms of dictatorship…book banners…governments run by undemocratic religious organizations…etc. We even now have a disruption of the entire weather system, thanks to industrial aggressiveness and wholesale blocking of proven scientific truth by certain current governments or, particularly in the case of the United States, one specific political party.

Disruption diminishes us. We are less human, less thoughtful, less innovative when it takes place because it serves the interest only of the disruptor and its shareholders. And these days, disruption seems to be a form of universal truth, accepted enthusiastically at most levels of business society. Opportunities for it are to be sought out…striven for…and realized. So, your having succeeded in disrupting the competition is an accomplishment of great value, for which congratulation is in order. You are celebrated when you have destroyed them. You will be ushered into some hall of fame or other for having done that.

You are the man of the hour, and perhaps one day you’ll run for president and disrupt democracy.

____

© Copyright 2023. Terence Clarke. All rights reserved.

“Terence Clarke: Recovering The Arts” columns are free of charge. Subscribe to them here. Or, if you wish, you can help us financially with a paid subscription at $5.00 per month or $50.00 per year. That, too, can be done here. It’s your call.

We will not share information about your subscription with anyone.