Our society is deeply conflicted about the source of excellence. On one hand, we are fascinated with child prodigies, portraying them as wonders of nature. On the other hand, we love a good “overcoming adversity” story, as it inspires us all to greatness.
Photo: Adapted from Thomas Hawk, Graffiti by Banksy s Asimov declared in his famous 1959 essay on creativity and idea generation, “The world in general disapproves of creativity.” The idea that both current and past cultures tend to disapprove of creativity might initially seem counterintuitive. After all, don’t we all aspire to be more creative? […]
Image: Neenah Paper This article originally appeared in the Harvard Business Review. rtists and scientists throughout history have remarked on the bliss that accompanies a sudden creative insight. Einstein described his realization of the general theory of relativity as the happiest moment of his life. More poetically, Virginia Woolf once observed, “Odd how the creative power […]
