Most innovation comes from combining well-known, well-established, building blocks in new ways. John Holland, a professor of two vastly different fields—psychology and engineering—at the University of Michigan, lectures frequently on innovative thinking. According to Holland there are two steps to innovation. The first step is to try and find the right building blocks—the basic knowledge. [...]
Language
“Philosophy is a battle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of our language.” — Wittgenstein Philosopher Bertrand Russel described Ludwig Josef Johann Wittgenstein as “the most perfect example I have ever known of genius as traditionally conceived, passionate, profound, intense, and dominating.” Wittgenstein, an Austrian philosopher, worked primarily in logic, mathematics, and the [...]
The difference is worth understanding. In a recent slate article, K.C. Cole writes: Persuasion requires understanding. Coercion requires only power. We usually equate coercion with obvious force, but sometimes it’s far more subtle. If you want people to stop smoking, for example, you don’t need to make it illegal; you can simply make smoking expensive [...]
Too often we try to convince people when we really should persuade them. Seth Godin writes: Marketers don’t convince. Engineers convince. Marketers persuade. Persuasion appeals to the emotions and to fear and to the imagination. Convincing requires a spreadsheet or some other rational device. It’s much easier to persuade someone if they’re already convinced, if [...]
Neil deGrasse Tyson explains why words, names, and labels matter. The lesson? Choose your words carefully. The universe is hard enough. The last thing the universe needs is a complex lexicon laid down between the communicator and the listener to confuse them about what it is they’re trying to listen to. (via 37signals) Still curious? [...]
Why do people get so upset about hearing certain words? In this two-part talk (transcript), Steven Pinker explains one of his books: The Stuff of Thought: Language as a Window into Human Nature. While the mixture of psychology, cognitive neuroscience, and linguists is not safe for work, it’s certainly worth watching. Still curious? Read the [...]
A brilliant post from brain pickings drawing our attention to Susan Sontag and the commodification of wisdom. As the interconnectedness and velocity of information continue to grow, these passages from Sontang’s As Consciousness Is Harnessed to Flesh speak to our desire to reduce complexity into soundbites. Soundbites, however, are designed to discourage critical thinking; we’re [...]
