Isaiah Berlin was the person who proposed this concept, the characteristic of hedgehog and the fox.
Hedgehog refers to defining the world with a single perspective, whereby fox don't believe the world can be explained with a single idea but with constant awareness to adapt the world changing.
I guess is easier to see if I give a comparison between these two types of characteristics.
Hedgehog is someone learned something in details and deep, fox likes to learn a lot but swallow.
Hedgehog like to stay with it believes, fox embrace the changes of what it believes.
Hedgehog is defensive styles when facing new issue, fox is actively solving the issue and dare to experimenting new solutions.
Well, I guess most of you would like to be like a fox to have more flexibility to facing the challenge of the world. But, just allow yourself to think for a moment, is being a fox like characteristic good enough?
I don't think so!
I do not want a fox kind characteristic person to be my surgery doctor as he or she may know superficial stuff about my body or brain. I also not prefer a chef who simply like to experiment with new food when I ordered my shrimp soup.
We have to admit that, we like something that we used to like, the reason is simple, because through experience, we knew this is good for us. It is in build in our brain via evolution.
Thus, what are the better way?
I proposed the mixture of these two with the name I called Hedgefox! The combination of these two characteristics.
The main difference in Hedgefox is no longer just using single perspective nor multiple view on the world or event but when. We need some fundamental knowledge or principles to know the world and survive within, but this solely a beginning.
Let me use an example to clarify my point.
Imagine that you are a doctor, you want to master in brain surgery, for instance. You will need to learn all the stuff now can be learn, but this doesn't stop you to keep learning, research, disprove all the existing theories!
When comes to something totally new, like a new technique or therapy for brain, none of us know whether will works or not, here the fundamental knowledge kicks in. Such as how to run experiment to disprove, how to interpret data, what are the circumstances allowed to use this new form of therapy and etc.
You are professional but with open minded, pro like a hedgehog and open to new experience like a fox. Don't you think this is better than purely choose a stand between hedgehog or fox?
One of the enemies that hedgehog afraid is weasel, an animal that can fart to "knockout" hedgehog. Fox basically has many enemies, therefore it has to be smart and fast enough to avoid being kill. But hedgehog only needs to be worries few types of predator due to it spikes.
What if a fox knows when to have a spike for protection and keep the spike when doing exploration?
I agree the world is full of surprise and no longer can explains something through single model, but I believe something in this world has no change, no matter what, like our morality.
For me, the hedgehog and fox metaphor represent our body and mind. Our mind is like a fox, but body is a hedgehog as no matter how, our body and limps are cannot be bend into some angle, else wise bones will be dislocated and get injured.
Hence, we need to maintain our body but allows mind to adapt new concepts. It doesn't means accept without speculation but with careful analysis and research.
When you can achieve that, you are a Hedgefox, a flexible person with principles, solid knowledge and adapt new things and carefully examining before it become part of your believe!