We value the uncommon genius of those who dare go against the grain, yet continue to expect them to fall in line with convention.

WITH the art of conversation flailing and failing all around us, the well-put phrase rises above the sea of mind-numbing mediocrity. It sometimes takes the tedium out of talking.

For example, for more than a year I’ve been looking for a table lamp, one that will fit our space, taste and budget. Finally, I found it in a trendy design store: aesthetically simple, functional rather than ornamental and – most importantly – we both liked it. We chose it, even though it was over our budget, because of a perfectly turned phrase.

While browsing through the furniture and decorative items in the stylish shop, I came across a few artistic pieces, their usefulness still unknown. Among them were blocks of mango wood creatively designed, carved and polished. When asked what they were for, the store’s design manager simply said: “We don’t define functionality.”

Three days later, at an Independence Day reception at a European ambassador’s Kuala Lumpur residence, a similarly striking phrase was heard. As opposed to previous events, where most of our time was spent sipping white wine and swiping canapés off waiters’ trays, this time around engrossing conversation held my attention.

In particular, a foreign journalist, on a stint in KL as an advisor with his embassy in a bid to be on the other side, was hoping to find the source of the human rights stories that interest him.

While chatting over a wide range of subjects, he revealed that he lives in Petaling Street, in order to soak up the colourful street life. He also admitted that his country needs to find a new export, with its previously world-leading product consistently failing to find favour.

Then came the striking statement: some of his country’s problems stem from its citizens’ “stupidity of straightforwardness”.

Here was the classic maverick who is not afraid to go against the grain, who speaks his mind and, most notably, exudes enormous belief in his convictions.

Mavericks are non-conformists who exhibit independence in thought and action. Basically, they have escaped the herd mentality, shed the trappings of security and live to the beat of their own drum. As they will be out of step with the rest of us, they will also be defined as rebels or eccentrics.

One such eccentric, Sir Patrick Moore, who was credited with educating the British public on astronomy and space travel, died last week. He wrote more than 100 books and was the world’s longest-running presenter of a single TV show on his favourite subjects, which he often described as his hobbies.

Reading through the numerous tributes to him, it was clear that it was his eccentricity that was revered. Commentators attributed Sir Patrick’s success not only to his experience in astronomy and knowledge of his field, but also to his enthusiasm and humour.

His deft skills at imparting his proficiency might have been honed by his in-depth comprehension of his subjects, but they also reflected a mind open to a variety of other influences, like opera, chess and sport.

Sir Patrick dived into these areas with as much zeal as he showed for his favoured spheres.

In an online article on managing the maverick employee, a maverick is described as one who usually challenges the way things are done, relies on the strength of his ideas rather than social support and pushes others to think differently.

While the advice given is to help harness talents that mavericks may possess to further any given organisation’s goals, the not-so-subtle undertone stands out – it’s an attempt to extract maverick skills and knowledge, while completely avoiding the need to adapt to the mentality of the person himself.

At the Doha Climate Change Conference in Qatar in November, Britain’s Lord Monckton was ejected from both conference and country. Moreover, he is now “de-badged” – permanently banned from future rounds of the talks. All because of a one-minute impassioned speech.

Admittedly, he did usurp the Myanmar delegate’s slot. But his real misdemeanour was to state that there had been no global warming in the 16 years that the conferences had been held and to call for a review of the science behind the climate issue.

It seems we need a reminder of the phrase, widely attributed to French philosopher Voltaire: “I disagree with what you say but I will defend to death your right to say it.”

The design manager, the journalist, the astronomer, and the strings of words that proclaim creativity and assuredly original thought. The occasional well-framed phrase shows all is not lost. Isn’t it time we embraced a lot more of those maverick thoughts, without any conditions?

Delighting in dead ends, Jacqueline Pereira seeks unexpected encounters to counter the outmoded. Find her on Facebook at Jacqueline-Pereira-Writing-on.

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