The experience of another culture, endows the traveler their valuable open-mindedness, making it easier for him or her to understand that a single thing can have multiple meanings.
- Leaving food on one’s plate (one single thing can have multiple meanings)
- In china, this is often seen as a complement that the host has provided more than enough food.
- In America this same act is an insult. An indication that the food was not good enough to finish
There are different and equally valid ways of interpreting the world.
- Learn to examine alternative possibilities.
- Refuse to settle for their first answers and initial guesses.
A Lady went abroad and noticed a doll that was sold in cigarette stores, catered to middle age men as a sex toy/doll. It was totally different than what was in America. She wanted to make an American version. She did so through Matel and it has become Barbie.
- She would not have grasped the idea for the doll if she had lived in Germany because that doll already had its purpose there. (Not for kids)
- She was able to grasp the idea from her daughter who was playing with paper dolls.
Re-source: Reassessment
Our thoughts are shackled by the familiar. The brain spends a lot of time and energy choosing what not to notice.
- As a result, creativity is traded for efficiency
- Dunker candlestick problem
One must constantly try to forget what you already know
- This is one of the central challenges of writing
- A writer needs to edit as if he knows nothing. As if he has never seen these words before. The writer must become an outsider to his own work.
Knowledge can be a subtle curse
- When you learn about the world, we also learn all the reasons why the world cannot be changed.
- We get used to our failures and imperfections.
- We become numb to the possibilities of something new.
The only way to remain creative over time is to not be undone by our expertise
- Experiment with our ignorance
craving and resource from “Imagine” – How Creativity works – by Jonah Lehrer