"Heretics are the only bitter remedy against the entropy of human thought"

This quote by Yevgeny Zamyatin recommends that apostates, or people who challenge the status quo, are needed to prevent the stagnancy of human idea. Entropy is a concept in physics that describes the propensity of a system to move towards a state of condition and chaos. In the exact same method, human idea can become stagnant and uncreative if it is not challenged. Apostates provide a "bitter solution" to this entropy, as they are willing to challenge the accepted standards and press the limits of idea. They are typically viewed as disruptive and unsafe, but their desire to challenge the status quo can lead to new ideas and development. Without heretics, human thought would become stagnant and uninspired, and development would be impossible.