By Dwayne Spradlin — 2012
“If I were given one hour to save the planet, I would spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute resolving it,” Albert Einstein said.
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CLEAR ALL
Most people assume that what it takes to be a great problem solver is simply raw intelligence. However, while intelligence helps, it’s not the only important element.
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Those who are exceptionally good at solving problems have a distinct advantage on the path to success. They often become leaders among their peers.
Your success is contingent on your ability to solve problems effectively, and one of the best tools you have for the job is your creativity. But why is creativity so valuable in solving problems, and how can you make the best use of it?
“It’s imagination, it’s inference, it’s guessing; and much of it is happening subconsciously,” said Marcel Danesi, a professor of anthropology.
"The real problem, we finally realized, wasn’t the one we were trying to solve. It was that we were so focused on finding a solution that we never stopped to question whether we should even be doing the thing causing us problems in the first place."
Our brains are hard-wired to make poor choices about harm prevention in today's world. But we can fight it.
Humans have incredible creative potential. Our knack for creating megacities, double-decker airplanes, cures for hundreds of diseases, symphonies, and virtual reality games, among other remarkable inventions, attests to our capacity to imagine possibilities and make them real.
In low seasons, while you sit in the waiting room of life, patience is a superpower. But by adopting these seven mindsets, you can run circles around life’s challenges.
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New research shows that by promoting divergent thinking, mindfulness can help engineers strengthen their ability to generate new ideas, leading to new ways of thinking and better solutions.
Through the practice of yoga, you can learn to hear—and follow—your inner guidance.