Where do good ideas come from? For centuries, all ...
Where do good ideas come from? For centuries, all credit for these mysterious gifts went to faith, fortune and some fair muses. But to assume creativity is some lofty trait enjoyed by the few is both foolish and unproductive, argues Jonah Lehrer in his book Imagine: How Creativity Works. Drawing from a wide array of scientific and sociological research—and everything from the poetry of W.H. Auden to the films of Pixar—he makes a convincing case that innovation cannot only be studied and measured, but also nurtured and encouraged. 3M Company is ranked as the third-most innovative in the world, selling more than 55,000 products, from streetlights to computer touch-screens. But when Mr. Lehrer visits, he finds employees engaged in all sorts of frivolous activities, such as playing pinball and wandering about the campus. These workers are actually pushed to take regular breaks, because interrupting work with a relaxing activity lets the mind turn inward, where it can subconsciously puzzle over subtle meanings and connections (the brain is incredibly busy when daydreaming). But this is just one reason for 3M's creative output. The company also encourages its employees to take risks, not only by spending masses on research (nearly 8% of gross revenue), but also by expecting workers to spend around 15% of their time pursuing speculative ideas. Most of these efforts will fail, but some, such as masking tape, an early 3M concept, will generate real profit for the company. The reason why this approach works is because many breakthroughs come when people venture beyond their area of expertise. Often it takes an outsider to ask the kind of dumb questions that may yield an unconventional solution. This is why young people tend to be the most innovative thinkers in nearly any field, from physics to music. The ignorance of youth “comes with creative advantages,” writes Mr. Lehrer, as the young are less jaded by custom and experience. Still, he reassures readers that anyone can stay creative as long as he works “to maintain the perspective of the outsider” by considering new problems at work (3M regularly rotates its engineers from division to division), travelling to new countries or simply spending more time staring “at things we don't fully understand”. Mr. Lehrer concludes with a call for better policy to “increase our collective creativity”. He also warns that the it demands a lot of time, sweat and grit. Or as Albert Einstein put it: “Creativity is the residue of time wasted.” 8. Why do young people tend to be the most innovative thinkers in nearly any field?
A、The ignorance of young people may yield an unconventional idea.
B、Young people always ask some dumb questions.
C、Young people are more jaded by custom and experience.
D、The ignorance of young people cannot come with creation.