The foundation for this post is the superstitious belief that all things balance out: i.e. that dramatically increased focus must mean dramatically decreased cr

The foundation for this post is the superstitious belief that all things balance out: i.e. that dramatically increased focus must mean dramatically decreased creativity. Quote: "It makes perfect sense that such a cognitive trade-off would exist." As Errol Morris said, nothing is so obvious that it's obvious. On the other hand, there are mounds of anecdotal evidence (and possibly some data) indicating that dopaminergic drugs like Ritalin, meth and cocaine have negative effects on original thinking; and likewise that drugs like LSD or psilocybin seem to have positive effects on the same. (Note that I say original thinking, which doesn't necessarily mean creatively worthwhile thinking.) My own pet theory on dopaminergics is that the constant stimulation of the pleasure response reduces our ability to evaluate ideas and distinguish between a good one and a bad one, or a fun activity and a boring one. This would help explain punding behavior (i.e. "tweaking") and "cocaine ideas", as well as the utility in getting school children to pay attention. It would also suggest that modafinil, which lacks this stimulation, wouldn't have negative effects on original thinking.