Tropophilia

I read an interesting article in The New York Times (our favorite source) about habits and their influence on human creativity and innovation. Janet Rae-Dupree writes that

brain researchers have discovered that when we consciously develop new habits, we create parallel synaptic paths, and even entirely new brain cells, that can jump our trains of thought onto new, innovative tracks. Rather than dismissing ourselves as unchangeable creatures of habit, we can instead direct our own change by consciously developing new habits. In fact, the more new things we try — the more we step outside our comfort zone — the more inherently creative we become, both in the workplace and in our personal lives.

Rae-Dupree goes on to note that, in addition to today’s much emphasized powers of analysis and procedure, we’re born with equally strong innovative and collaborative problem-solving capabilities. Those two approaches, however, are known to go under biological and cultural attack throughout our younger years. Biologically, at puberty the brain often “throws out” innovation and collaboration because they go underutilized and are deemed less cognitively “valuable.” Culturally, the emphasis these days on analytic and systematic learning (especially in the face of standardized testing) fosters less development of the more creative mental faculties.

It turns out that “stretching” our minds into new ways of thinking can be beneficial in multiple arenas. Physically, learning to think in new ways keeps our brains and even our bodies healthy. One interviewee in the article notes that “researchers who asked folks to do something different every day — listen to a new radio station, for instance — found that they lost and kept off weight. No one is sure why, but scientists speculate that getting out of routines makes us more aware in general”.

Encouraging unique thought processes can also benefit businesses, non-profits, and government. More and more, I hear about job interviews where people are asked something like: “How many golf balls does it take to fill up a school bus.” They don’t know the answer, and don’t really care what number the candidate comes up with. Smart companies are investigating and investing not in what potential hires know, but in how they think.

Earlier, Taylor discussed the fate of the liberal arts grad in this increasingly specialized world and concluded the following:

When we [liberal arts graduates] are ready, we’ll still be better prepared to specialize (whether that means graduate/professional school, or a job with a steep learning curve) and better specialists down the road. Recognizing the need to specialize – eventually – helps those of us with extremely varied interests take the necessary (and fulfilling) time to define our passions and find our area of expertise, all the while continuing to develop as thoughtful and balanced individuals.

Taylor’s absolutely right, and I think it’s largely because of the fact that liberal arts grads are in the habit of thinking outside the box. Liberal arts education encourages all four of the thought patterns mentioned in the article: analytic, procedural, innovative, and collaborative/relational. Liberal arts education puts students in the habit of thinking of implications and making inferences. It encourages lifelong learning. It’s cliché these days, but I think it rings true: it teaches you how to learn. Liberal arts education doesn’t give you discrete knowledge; it teaches you how to learn knowledge indiscriminately.

What are ways that you stretch your mind? Reading? Sudoku? Crosswords? Blogging? Exercise that gray matter (perhaps by jogging your memory? Heh. Sorry…) and speak up in the comments.

Image used under a Creative Commons license courtesy of Flickr user carlossolana.