Harmony of Discord: Trials of Tenancity

As they traveled from community to community, they encountered every type of personality. There were those who were ready to give their contribution and did so willingly. Then there were others who did not want to utter a word and instead bore what appeared to be false humility. Those individuals did not engage, hands neatly folded in their laps, as though fearful of standing out.
There was one community that shone out as both a source of promise and frustration. Famed as a hotbed of intellectualism, it was full of people who were willing to engage in conversation. However, there was one member of the community who was noticeably quiet in meetings. Although he kept his mouth shut while others spoke, he was not slow to criticize every proposal afterward, usually calling them flawed.
Things went from bad to worse when, during a meeting, this individual went so far as to call his colleagues “daft” for not accepting his recommendations. He insulted them, telling them that they had no intellectual content. As much as they were insulted to the core, the group chose to remain calm and did not retaliate.