Keywords:: PermanentNote makePublic
Tags: creativity Ideas environment innovation
The sheer number of ideas and possible connections between them determine the fruitfulness of an environment.
Ideas need spare parts, the more ideas there are, the bigger the range of new possible connections. The more combinations are possible, the greater the number of new ideas that can spring up.
For that to happen the environment has to be liquid—ideas should be able to flow freely and randomly through the network to connect with each other in unpredictable ways.
Therefore, environments that facilitate free influx of ideas and let them connect, fuse, and recombine are the ones that produce the most ideas.
As an example, most scientific innovations are not born in a closed lab, under the microscope—they emerge during regular lab meetings, at the conference table, where scientists meet and exchange ideas and perspectives. (p. 61)
Elaborations
How does it connect to deep work. Work deeply in closed environments but come out once in a while to exchange perspectives?
Relevant notes:
TK PN: How to use the environment for your goals: Things that are associated with each other become more probable in action. You can use your environment to guide the types of ideas you want to generate.
Why does internalization lead to the prolific "flowing out" of ideas? Because when you internalize stuff, it gets pushed deeper into your mind, it becomes your intuition. Once it is deep inside your mind, it can mix and mingle with other things—ideas, emotions, memories, etc—that were already present (which is a prerequisite for creativity). Because your internal environment is unique, you will likely churn out original and authentic ideas. In that regard, internalization is imperative for original thought. (wow, this was great, original writing here, btw.,)
What you must understand is that this work creates an environment for mastery. The vast amount of ideas and skills you've generated throughout the process are constantly mixing and merging without you knowing about it. Eventually, a great combination will be born (similarly to PN: Environment for idea generation).
Innovation appears in environments that resemble a liquid environment. A habitat in which ideas can flow freely through the network and combine, merge, connect in many unpredictable ways.
PN: Diverse environments lead to creativity, PN: Environment for idea generation: ideas appear in environments in which there is a constant influx of diverse ideas.
PN: Environment for idea generation: New ideas need spare parts that can trigger new connections. First principles can help you to get those spare parts.
Through priming and association your surroundings—people, places, things—influence what you think and do. For example, hearing Italian music makes you more likely to buy Italian wines, upbeat music makes you more likely to spend more, and other people's ideas make you more creative. The saying that you're the average of your five closest people is in general true (just look at your own life to get proof). And most of it happens unconsciously.
PN: Environment for idea generation: Environments that facilitate idea generation are liquid - there is a big influx of ideas and they can flow freely and combine in many, unpredictable ways.
If you want to become more innovative, then you must place yourself inside environments that share these two characteristics. In surrounding where ideas are plentiful and their circulation and exchange are facilitated. PN: Environment for idea generation
PN: Environment for idea generation: Ideas appear in places where many ideas can flow freely and make multiple, unpredictable connections. Environments for deep work are the opposite, they are closed. Best if you stay in both regularly. The first will let you share and test the ideas you have developed during deep work. The second will give you the opportunity to work on the inspirations you've gained from the first.