On stubbornness and freedom of expression

Freedom of expression is a fundamental principle of democracy. However, before an individual can express their “own” opinion, they undergo decades of influence from parents, teachers, and society. Ultimately, what we refer to as “our” convictions often no longer reflect our innermost thoughts, but rather what those around us expect of us. 

Many people feel comfortable in this system and willingly play by its rules. Those who do not belong face a difficult choice: openly refuse to participate, or appear to conform in order to advance within the system, in the hope of being able to change it later. Unfortunately, it often turns out that the system is surprisingly immune to change. 

I am one of those people who are not just “different” because they have little contact with the outside world, but because they have a mind of their own. One of my most important political concerns early on was the legalization of germline therapy—with the vision of creating people who are as strong as Schwarzenegger, as smart as Einstein, as moral as Gandhi, and as beautiful as Marilyn Monroe. Such a position did not go down well at the Medical University of Vienna; after completing my doctorate, I was not offered a position there. 

My attempt to become a specialist in medical genetics also failed due to prejudice. At first, I was praised for my unusual double degree in medicine and computer science – even described as “extremely attractive.” But as soon as my name was mentioned, the enthusiasm was over. So I ended up becoming a software developer. 

At the beginning of my studies, I had published a provocative essay on the internet: people with low IQs should refrain from having children. To show that I myself met the criteria, I signed up for the Mensa test – and that's how I joined this association. My thinking at the time was that the economy needed workers with high IQs, while people with low IQs tended to be a burden on the welfare state. 

But the reality at Mensa showed me that even with a high IQ, you can be useless. Intelligence is no guarantee of performance. Perhaps that's why we need other selection criteria – income, school grades, or something completely new.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)