Bother Me, I'm Thinking
online.wsj.com
Bother Me, I'm Thinking
1–10 of 49 posts
Re: Bother Me, I'm Thinking
#2[deleted]
Re: Bother Me, I'm Thinking
#3I think it mainly has to do with hyperactive thoughts. More random thoughts = more possibilities considered = more creative output = less time on any single thought (focus). Distractibility is just a side effect of this predilection to racing thoughts.
Re: Bother Me, I'm Thinking
#4Great article.
The author, Jonah Lehrer, has an amazing book on behavior economics that I considering a must read for anyone trying to sell anything. It's been incredibly valuable to us at Wistia. It's called "How We Decide".
Jonah always finds incredibly interesting ways to pull apart behavior from a neurological perspective.
http://www.amazon.com/How-We-Decide-Jonah-Lehrer/dp/05472479...
Re: Bother Me, I'm Thinking
#5Wow. I can seriously relate to this article. I'm notorious among my friends for "zoning-out", going into deep thought, being easily distracted and giving a delayed response when they ask me something. I thought I might have a problem, but this really gives a new perspective.
I think that perhaps by spending so many hours in front of the computer, my mind is always in this "virtual world" state, where I think A LOT, but only to myself—and this carries over to to the "physical world." I easily distracted—but can focus really hard on one thing at a time, so I don't have issues learning (if I'm paying attention to the class). Don't know if this is a good or a bad thing.
Re: Bother Me, I'm Thinking
#6The study results were interesting, but I find them hard to apply in a directed effort towards achievement. I just finished reading The Power of Full Engagement, and I find Loehr and Schwartz provide a more practical, workable model.
Their idea, strongly supported by thousands of case studies, is that to maximize success (whether in academics, tennis, the corporate world, etc.) one must practice deliberate spurts of stress followed by periods of strategic relaxation. It is easier to apply this in practice than the interesting but hardly practical content in the article. For example, for the past few hours, I've been working hard on understanding some algebraic geometry from Hartshorne, but now I'm daydreaming about neuroscience and salsa.
Thus, a perfect creative effort is a fusion of focused dedication interspersed with lackadaisical goofing around.
Re: Bother Me, I'm Thinking
#7My concern is that "better at generating new ideas" != ("better at generating good/relevant ideas" || "better at accomplishing things")
I tend to be more creative when I'm letting myself drift, but I need to focus in order to execute. As with most things, balance is the key.
Re: Bother Me, I'm Thinking
#8Doesn't this go against the concept of flow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)?
Re: Bother Me, I'm Thinking
#9Creativity requires trust. How many employers are willing to trust their employees to get stuff done without concern with the way they get stuff done? It requires you to trust the process which often doesn't have intermediary stages that you can show progress, answers just arise.
Re: Bother Me, I'm Thinking
#10Doesn't this go against the concept of flow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology) ?
Flow != creativity. A flow state is an immersion in the task at hand, where your self-consciousness melts away and you just get it done. Creativity doesn't necessarily involve that same sort of ego death, and involves dreaming of things, not necessarily accomplishing them.