a cutthroat-competition among ideas is essential to research. It seems to me that a researcher should have no freedom to make other able people work on his ideas rather than on their own, beyond what he can make them want to do through persuasion based on the merits of his ideas.Fortunately, today good people don't have to work under any other conditions. There is tremendous competition for good workers with good ideas. A man who really suffers from the tyranny of the boss can go to some other department or to some other company. And, a cutthroat-competition among ideas is essential to research. It seems to me that a researcher should have no freedom to make other able people work on his ideas rather than on their own, beyond what he can make them want to do through persuasion based on the merits of his ideas.Fortunately, today good people don't have to work under any other conditions. There is tremendous competition for good workers with good ideas. A man who really suffers from the tyranny of the boss can go to some other department or to some other company. And, if a boss is so tyrannous that good men leave him, he won't last forever.Still, men do complain about the tyranny of jobs and bosses. It is my observation that these are seldom the best men. In fact, often they are men who have amply demonstrated their inability to do research when left completely to themselves, and sometimes they are men who should not try to do research under any circumstances.Clearly, freedom is vitally important to research, but other somewhat inconsistent things are important, too. Responsibilities of one sort or another keep if a boss is so tyrannous that good men leave him, he won't last forever.Still, men do complain about the tyranny of jobs and bosses. It is my observation that these are seldom the best men. In fact, often they are men who have amply demonstrated their inability to do research when left completely to themselves, and sometimes they are men who should not try to do research under any circumstances.Clearly, freedom is vitally important to research, but other somewhat inconsistent things are important, too. Responsibilities of one sort or another keep us from following up every idea or inclination we have. Apparatus ties us down. Concentration on one subject lessens our ability to tackle another. Then too, we may lose our freedom foolishly. Snobbishness may dictate our course of action. Or we may work in a poor environment, inadequately provided for, or with a tyrannous boss to browbeat us. But, in this day and age we are foolish if we put up with such things, unless we really aren't good enough to find another environmentor unless conditions aren't as bad as we think they are after all. us from following up every idea or inclination we have. Apparatus ties us down. Concentration on one subject lessens our ability to tackle another. Then too, we may lose our freedom foolishly. Snobbishness may dictate our course of action. Or we may work in a poor environment, inadequately provided for, or with a tyrannous boss t...
