This document discusses how humor can be used to develop creativity. It provides definitions of humor from various sources that emphasize humor as a way to gain intellectual perspective and see things in a new light. The document also explores how fear of mistakes and inability to tolerate ambiguity can stifle creativity. It proposes some techniques for overcoming blocks to creativity, such as redefining problems, looking at reverse definitions, and taking breaks to relax the mind. Overall, the document advocates for the use of humor as a tool to enhance creativity and flexible thinking.
3. INTELLIGENT Strong decision makers
LATERAL THINKERS Prepared to look at all
sides
Z CREATIVE Strong imagination, Leaders
Preoccupied with SEX and BOOZE
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7. If you see in any given situation only
what everybody else can see, you
can be said to be so much a
representative of your culture that
you are of victim of it.
- S.I. Hayakawa
I D E A
8. Research is to see what
everybody else has seen,
and to think what nobody
else has thought.
-Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
I D E A
9. Human salvation lies in the
hands of the creatively
maladjusted.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
I D E A
10. When Alexander the Great visited Diogenes and
asked whether he could do anything for the
famed teacher, Diogenes replied: "Only stand
out of the light." Perhaps some day we shall
know how to heighten creativity. Until then,
one of the best things we can do for creative
men and women is to stand out of their light. -
John W. Gardner
I D E A
11. I do much of my creative thinking
while golfing. If people know you
are working at home they think
nothing of walking in for a coffee.
But they wouldn't dream of
interrupting you on the golf course.
- Harper Lee.
I D E A
12. An idea that is
not dangerous is
unworthy of
being called an
idea at all.
-Oscar Wilde.
I D E A
14. Sometimes I lie awake at
night, and ask, 'Where
have I gone wrong?' Then
a voice says to me, 'This is
going to take more than
one night.'
Charles M. Schulz quotes
.
H U M O
15. The trouble with having an
open mind, of course, is
that people will insist on
coming along and trying to
put things in it.
Terry Pratchett
H U M O
16. Ever notice how
'What the hell'
is always the
right answer?
Marilyn
Monroe.
H U M O
17. Humor is
reason gone
mad.
Groucho
Marx.
H U M O
18. Humor can be dissected as
a frog can, but the thing
dies in the process and the
innards are discouraging to
any but the pure scientific
mind.
E.B White
H U M O
19. Imagination was
given man to
compensate for what
he is not, and a sense
of humor to console
him for what he is.
Francis Bacon
H U M O
20. Comedy is a
tragedy plus
time.
Carol Burnett
H U M O
21. Emotional chaos
remembered in
tranquility
James Thurber
H U M O
22. Humor is perhaps a sense
of intellectual perspective:
an awareness that some
things are really important,
others not; and that the
two kinds are most oddly
jumbled in everyday
affairs.
-Christopher Morley
H U M O
23. This I conceive to be the
chemical function of humor:
to change the character of
our thought.
-Lin Yutang
H U M O
24. Humor is perhaps a sense of
intellectual perspective: an
awareness that some things
are really important, others
not; and that the two kinds
are most oddly jumbled in
everyday affairs.
-Christopher Morley
H U M O
45. REDEFINE THE ROBLEM
One of the characteristics that distinguish highly
creative from less creative people is that the
former spend much more time on problem
definition while the latter spend more time on
trying to discover new solutions or alternatives.
H O W ?
52. HOW TIRED I FEEL
I UNDERSTOOD SO MUCH
TODAY!
Ashleigh Brilliant
Pitsel & Associates Ltd.
Editor's Notes
#6: To become more creative begin making changes in your routine the things you do without thought for example fold your arms, note which arm is on top now fold them the other way until it becomes uncomfortable and you want to change back.Change your watch onto the other wristDrink coffee or water using the other handThink of one routine thing you do every day that you could change
#13: Drink coffee or water using the other handThink of one routine thing you do every day that you could change
#17: What has surprised you in this last week and how could you use this to your advantage?
#21: Think of one routine thing you do every day that you could change
#27: Trying to be right all the TimeShow me a man who has never made a mistake and hes either dead or he should be
#29: Settling on the first "right" answer that appears
#43: Start with a really stupid idea pass it on to the person next to you.The next person takes this idea and makes ONE suggestion to improve it and passes that on to the next person in line.FANTASY/REFLECTION ARE A WASTE OF TIME, LAZY, OR CRAZY getting caught in the activity trap only work mattersREASON IS GOOD, FEELING IS BAD believing that only what you can measure in worthwhile or valuable TABOOS - you cant question the rules of the culture
#46: Health care has been tussling with the question of financing - and depending on how you state the problem, you end up looking at different potential solutions.If you define the problem as not having enough money, then you look at ways of increasing revenue. If you define the problem as spending too much money, then you look for ways to make cuts in expenditures.It is not a question of which way is RIGHT - but rather a question of how many ways can we see this problem, and thus open our ways to new and creative methods of problem solving?
#47: In one of Aesop's fable's he presents the story of a bird who was very thirsty, but the only jug with water had the water level too low to get at. Instead of thinking of the problem in an obvious way - how to get the water out of the jug (break the container and have the water run into the mouth and risk losing precious water), the bird did the reverse - what could be put in? He dropped pebbles in the jug until the level of the water rose high enough for him to get a drink. For example how could you demotivate staff?
#48: Creativity is not easy it is not neat and tidy, and it is not without its causalities, at time.