Why You Shouldn't Play the Heel (Newsletter #72)

In pro wrestling, the "face" is the hero and the "heel" is the villain. The incentive structures of our society are willing to personally reward people, especially conservatives, who engage in heel behavior in real life. This is because by acting the heel, people serve as a foil to the hero the media wishes to build up. Even Peter Thiel fell prey to this, helping to propel Rigoberta Menchu to the Nobel Peace Prize. While heel behavior can be effective at times, and is a tool everyone should have in their tool chest, we should think long and hard before engaging in these tactics.

Heel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heel_(professional_wrestling)

Peter Thiel speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibR_ULHYirs