The Wiley Handbook of Genius

25 The Systems Model of Creativity and Its Applications

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

A Brief History of the Concept of Creativity

Early stages

One of the most characteristic and universal traits of human beings has always been the desire to inquire about the causes of events. From an evolutionary point of view, this feature has been invaluable to our species, as it has led to innumerable discoveries that have generally given a reproductive advantage to those individuals who, because of their genetic makeup or because of early experience, have been endowed with it. The old saw, “curiosity killed the cat,” when applied to our species should be changed to “curiosity saved the species.” The few percentage points that differentiate human DNA from that of the great apes notwithstanding, our kind has created – generation after generation – systems of tools, symbols, values, and lifestyles that divide it sharply from other life forms. For example, in practically every culture, mythical stories have slowly evolved to explain how the world was created, why people differed from other animals, why we died, and what happened to us afterwards.

Unusual or unexpected events were initially explained in terms of intercession on the part of supernatural beings, anthropomorphic gods who punished men by striking them with disease and famines, or rewarding them with successful hunts and plentiful harvests. Even as late as 3,000 years ago, in the most advanced culture of Europe, poets such as Homer ...