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Let's suppose everyone is behaving relativity rationally. How could we explain this? One obvious suggestion: the average value of a "creative" idea is less than

Let's suppose everyone is behaving relativity rationally. How could we explain this? One obvious suggestion: the average value of a "creative" idea is less than that of a inside-the-box idea. Though the peek value of a "creative" idea can be tremendous, most "creative" ideas are of negative utility, similar to how most mutations decrease fitness, even though most increases in fitness are caused by mutations. Though all earth-shattering ideas are creative, perhaps all creative ideas aren’t earth-shattering and, on average, one is better off thinking inside the box.

studiofellow 13y ago
Knowing the value of an idea is difficult until we see it in hindsight, already fulfilled. I think that pretending to know the value of a creative idea when it's merely an idea is presumptuous. The article describes how the reception of creativity is all about risk--that we don't know its value immediately. I think this is a more logical way of looking at it.
colomon 13y ago
Let me amplify your point with a specific, personal example. I write Irish traditional-style dance tunes, reels & jigs, mostly. I think I do a pretty decent job of it. (Of course, I might be wrong about this -- certainly there are loads of bad, creative ideas! Assume for the moment, though, that I actually am okay at it.) As far as I know, the number of people who can play even one of the tunes I've written can be counted on your fingers. It might take only one hand. Like so many things, there are strong network effects in Irish tunes. Most of the musicians want to play with other people; so there is limited incentive to learn a tune that almost no-one else knows. When you do want to learn something novel, there are literally thousands of obscure tunes to choose from, with more being written every day. And of course, since my tunes have not been professionally recorded, only a very limited number of people have ever been exposed to them; mostly close friends and a few people who heard me get up the nerve to play them in a bar somewhere. What I'm trying to get at here is this is all perfectly reasonable. If you looked at it from a narrow focus on me, then you could certainly say that creative ideas are being ignored. But if you look at it from a broader perspective, you'd be wrong to conclude that all those musicians don't like creativity. Most of them are looking for something new to play. There's just no compelling reason it should be my tune.
wrongc0ntinent 13y ago
I don't think the "negative utility" aspect you bring up is warranted. If "creativity" is a term of differentiation, it only implies unconventionality. There is plenty of room between utilitarian and detrimental.

studiofellow 13y ago

Knowing the value of an idea is difficult until we see it in hindsight, already fulfilled. I think that pretending to know the value of a creative idea when it's merely an idea is presumptuous. The article describes how the reception of creativity is all about risk--that we don't know its value immediately. I think this is a more logical way of looking at it.

colomon 13y ago

Let me amplify your point with a specific, personal example. I write Irish traditional-style dance tunes, reels & jigs, mostly. I think I do a pretty decent job of it. (Of course, I might be wrong about this -- certainly there are loads of bad, creative ideas! Assume for the moment, though, that I actually am okay at it.) As far as I know, the number of people who can play even one of the tunes I've written can be counted on your fingers. It might take only one hand. Like so many things, there are strong network effects in Irish tunes. Most of the musicians want to play with other people; so there is limited incentive to learn a tune that almost no-one else knows. When you do want to learn something novel, there are literally thousands of obscure tunes to choose from, with more being written every day. And of course, since my tunes have not been professionally recorded, only a very limited number of people have ever been exposed to them; mostly close friends and a few people who heard me get up the nerve to play them in a bar somewhere. What I'm trying to get at here is this is all perfectly reasonable. If you looked at it from a narrow focus on me, then you could certainly say that creative ideas are being ignored. But if you look at it from a broader perspective, you'd be wrong to conclude that all those musicians don't like creativity. Most of them are looking for something new to play. There's just no compelling reason it should be my tune.

wrongc0ntinent 13y ago

I don't think the "negative utility" aspect you bring up is warranted. If "creativity" is a term of differentiation, it only implies unconventionality. There is plenty of room between utilitarian and detrimental.