It takes genius to withstand the tide of culture consistently and thoughtfully. So genius will always be in opposition to the assertions of the liberal, conservative, or moderate mainstream. The requirement becomes a necessity as the mainstream ceases to be thoughtful and merely reacts. And it remains dissent even when it does agree, if only because it possesses reasons the mainstream can only borrow and not create. It can’t retreat to the cowardly “I see all sides” cop-out of snobbish bewilderment, either, because genius simply cannot quit thinking and, inevitably, thinking leads to thoughts. This is also why it’s smarter not to have an opinion on everything, because genius, by its nature, must necessarily be selective about its focus.