Real creativity is quite a mystery – luckily probably, because if it had been fully exposed, life would probably be far less interesting.
And legions of people are still looking for “the great idea” – which would change the world, and/or make them rich, etc.
The problem is always – how do you recognize if a new idea has potential? Experience shows again and again that you can’t. At least not rationally, for sure. Maybe emotionally – although countless inventors died believing alone they had had a great idea.
At least this well-known quote from Albert Einstein “If at first an idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it” (mentioned in the excellent book “the 3rd alternative” by Stephen Covey), gives us a clue, if a negative one.
Dismiss thus any idea that seems normal. Consider with interest all ideas that seem weird, out of place, absurd, impossible to understand, strange, out-worldly. All ideas that seem to put your worldview upside down.
That’s tough and that’s why probably so many good ideas don’t get recognized or only develop by chance.
Next time you meet a really absurd idea, give it a chance. Adopt it for a while. It might astonish you.
