True Prophets Are Bad Team-players

Prophets and prognosticators of social, political, and economic trends in many cases are shunned, outcast, mocked, or even outright punished. Even when their predictions come true during their own life time, they are rarely acknowledged or compensated for the abuse and mistreatment meted out for many years throughout their "years in the desert". In stark contradistinction, the originators of scientific theories attain fame along with a slew of pecuniary returns once their theories prevail.

This disparity is because people are invested - both psychologically and materially - in prevailing social, economic, as well as political trends, fashions, as well as assets. The Establishment rely for his or her survival on inertia, and about the blindness, ignorance, and acquiescence from the masses. True prophets and successful prognosticators often "rock the boat" and even undermine this edifice involving wealth and privilege. They constitute a present and immediate danger. Social ostracism is the very best weapon against them. Persecution might follow if it shows insufficient.



But, there are deeper reasons for the resentment and major maltreatment of true prophets as well as successful prognosticators.

First, by straying away from "official line" and by predicting (and thus promoting) transformation, they prove themselves not able to conform to extant community mores, edicts, values, as well as etiquette. This overt non-conformism renders them solitary, idiosyncratic, as well as eccentric. They are not - and is not - team-players.

A good case might be made that human improvement is dependent on a chance to work in teams. Disruptive, asocial, schizoid, narcissistic, or antisocial individuals threaten not just the society on the fringes which they operate, but also the very survival of its participants. Hence the almost instinctual aversion many people have towards the maverick, the actual pioneer, the innovator, and also the successful prognosticator.

Second, so far as society goes, the quite fulfillment of prophecies, forecasts, and prognoses is humiliating and constitutes a major narcissistic injury. The prophet or analyst or prognosticator is within the position to gloat and say: "I told you so! ". Predictions come true and prophecies vindicated are reminders of the obtuseness, inanity, shortsightedness, and sheer stupidity from the masses and their market leaders, who refused to hear the repeated warnings of the prophet or prognosticator.

It's a lose-lose situation. If he gets it wrong, the prophet or prognosticator is susceptible to scorn and opprobrium. If he have it right, he become a source of constant embarrassment. His very willingness to go on a limb and keep to his neck out renders him an oddity, best-avoided, as well as best-suppressed.