Sat
Feb
28
2009
The Hard Hunt for Insight
Perspective. Insight. These are rare and difficult things. There is nothing so rare as the original idea, the fresh perspective. These things require effort.
Frankly, I have to admit days go by where I don’t give a problem enough consideration. For the most part the issues I confront on a daily basis are reproductions of the same problems I’ve faced in the past and the solutions are automatically acted out in robotic fashion.
Instinctual responses are an easy habit to fall into, we all only have so much time. Methods and approaches which have served us well in the past can become our master. Over time we no longer consider a problem, we react and move on.
It is a intellectually lazy trap, one I have turned my consciousness to and given some consideration. This isn’t the first time.
Approaching an old problem actively is labor, and more often than not the old solution still remains reasonable. So am I wasting time? Occasionally things do change and a new solution to an old problem exists, so in those cases the answer is certainly no.
In the end you have to look inside yourself, for me it is a frightening prospect to realize I spend so much time not engaged in original thought. The sad reality is that for much of our lives we find out a way to do something that works and never look back.
Let me conclude by saying this. Original thought is hard work, I have to make a conscious effort to engage in it and seldom am I rewarded with anything that even remotely resembles a new idea.
My advice is this. Take a problem and study it, make time to study it. New problems or old pick it up and turn it over, study it from all angles. Put it down and pick it up again, be patient. Don’t expect instant gratification or an orgasmic epiphany, it’s a problem and if the solution were easy they would have given it a different name.
Avoid the prejudice you may have, the desire to react instinctively.
Insight and original thought are far and few between, they are nothing like lunch and dinner that come once a day. Just remain aware that you do need to take the time.
Good luck hunting.
