When collaboration kill creativity
đYou are more likely to have an apple fall on your head when you have sneaked to the backyard to relax under an apple tree while everyone else is clinking glasses on the patio. You should have already known that I am referring to Isaac Newton here.
đ§ Isaac Newton was one of the worldâs greatest introverts. Other renowned introverts include Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Warren Buffett, Google co-founder Larry Page and Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg. The list is endless.
đ¤Why is it that the most creative people tend to be socially poised introverts?
Research has revealed that the most creative people describe themselves as independent and individualistic. This doesnât mean that introverts are more creative than extroverts but it suggests that in a group of people who have been extremely creative throughout their lifetimes, youâre likely to find a lot of introverts.
đ¤Is there a quality present in quiet personalities that fuels the creativity?
đĄSusan Cain, in her book, Quiet suggests that solitude can be a catalyst to innovation. As the influential psychologist Hans Eysenck once observed, introversion âconcentrates the mind on the tasks in hand, and prevents the dissipation of energy on social and sexual matters unrelated to work.â
I donât believe anything really revolutionary has been invented by a committee. If youâre that rare engineer whoâs an inventor and also an artist, Iâm going to give you some advice that might be hard to take. That advice is: Work alone. Youâre going to be best able to design revolutionary products and features if youâre working on your own. Not on a committee. Not on a team.
Quote by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak
đ¤What is so magical about solitude? It is only when you are alone that you can engage in deliberate practice. When you practice deliberately, you identify the tasks or knowledge that are just out of your reach, strive to upgrade your performance, monitor your progress, and revise accordingly.
While regular practice might include mindless repetitions, deliberate practice requires focused attention and is conducted with the specific goal of improving performance.
Why does collaboration kill creativity?
đSusan Cain suggests there might be a explanation to this
Social loafing: in a group, some individuals tend to sit
back and let others do the work.
Production blocking: only one person can talk or produce an idea at once, while the other group members are forced to sit passively.
Evaluation apprehension: the fear of looking stupid in front of oneâs peers.
đĄMoral of the story: Don't be afraid to work alone. It is when I work alone that I am most able to express my thoughts and feelings into an idea that would otherwise be nearly impossible in a group brainstorming session.
Weekly bits
World newsđ- At least 13 people have died after Mount Semeru volcano in Indonesia erupts.
Financeđ°- El Salvador bought Bitcoin again. They bought 150 coins at an average price of $48,670.
Financeđ°- Most cryptocurrencies took a huge dip in the past week.
Sportsđď¸- Lewis Hamilton wins a chaotic Saudi Grand Prix to take F1 title race to wire.
Quote of the week
It's lonely at the top. Ninety-nine percent of people in the world are convinced they are incapable of achieving great things, so they aim for the mediocre. The level of competition is thus fiercest for "realistic" goals, paradoxically making them the most time-and energy-consuming.
From The Four Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferriss
Tweet of the week
Another oneâŚwhy not?
Have a nice week, won't you?
Dennis