The Four Lenses of Innovation: A Power Tool for Creative Thinking

What exactly is an   orthodoxy?

An orthodoxy is a deeply held belief, a traditional practice, or a conventional way of thinking that is commonly assumed to be true or correct.

The word orthodox literally means “right belief.” It comes from the Greek words orthos, meaning straight, true, or right, and doxa, meaning belief or opinion. So orthodoxies are the beliefs or opinions that are commonly held to be true. They are broadly shared patterns of thinking (usually representing the viewpoint of the majority), that determine the way most people perceive certain things. Orthodoxies are the accepted norms or general standards to which a group of people adhere with a sense of certainty, and which they expect new members of the group to embrace without question.

George Orwell dramatically described the way orthodoxies can negatively influence human thinking in his famous dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four. In the fictional world of protagonist Winston Smith, everyone mindlessly follows the same mandatory routines for living and working that “Big Brother” dictates and controls. They also unquestioningly accept the official version of reality propagated by the ominous “Ministry of Truth.” Outwardly, Smith may appear to be just as much an obedient drone as anyone else, but he secretly becomes guilty of “thoughtcrime” by harboring doubts about this totalitarian system, and by challenging ...