The Creative Problem Solver

iii.

Be contrary

‘If we all worked on the assumption that what is accepted as true is really true, there would be little hope of advance.’

ORVILLE WRIGHT

Assumptions. Habits. Conventions. Routines.

All anathema to new thinking.

We fall into patterns of doing – and thinking – and miss out on finding a better way. In other words, just because it ain’t broke, doesn’t mean you can’t fix it anyway.

Because when it comes to solving a problem – or capitalising on an opportunity or developing an innovation – there’ll be lots of assumptions everyone involved will make, and a great many conventions you’ll observe. So let’s challenge those conventions. Let’s be deliberately contrary and say ‘Why does it have to be done that way?’

It’s like that idea of travelling ...