Practical Tools and Wise Quotes on All Matters Creative
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Practical Tools and Wise Quotes on All Matters Creative |
7.5.2. Association: Just Like That
How To Invent (Almost) Anything > 7. How The Brain Works > 7.5. Association: Just Like That > 7.5.2. Association: Just Like That < Prev Chapter | Next Chapter >
If I see a plant I have not seen before, to create a new classification I typically start with plants I know which are similar to the new plant. New classifications are often held as ‘like A but with differences X, Y and Z.’ A zebra is like a horse with stripes. An eel is a cross between a fish and a snake. Jane looks like Susan, but with black hair. This makes classification easier, although this connectivity can cause problems: if I change my understanding of horses, should that also change my understanding of zebras? When we understand things in terms of other things, we are using analogies and metaphors. The use of metaphors is so common, we often do not realise we are using them, for example when we say an experience was ‘brilliant’, we do not mean it gave off light. At its most extreme, every word is a metaphor, as the word is a representation, not the actual thing.
The question, ‘What’s it like?’ is a powerful tool for bouncing ourselves out of
uncreative holes. If I were trying to come up with ideas for a home security
business, I might think start with, “A person’s home is their castle” and then
link to “It’s like building an impenetrable wall around the house,” which could
lead me to thoughts of toughened glass or a secondary toughened door (the
‘portcullis’) that comes down behind the normal door. Other parts in this section are:
The other sections in this chapter:
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