FILL: A Touchstone of Sorts

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original posting 25 June 2009

A number of years ago, I was teaching a short seminar on creative thinking based on Edward de Bono's books. This was at MIT during the IAP -- interim activity period? -- winter break during January. Most of the students are still on campus, but there are no formal classes. Instead, faculty, staff, even students are encouraged to run seminars and classes on topics that they are interested in.

Anyway, I was doing an introduction to creative thinking. And the room was reasonably packed. So I started in, explaining that I would be going over a number of tools or approaches that could be used to encourage creative thinking. I think I asked if there were any questions before diving into the meat of the seminar.

One young gentleman who had arrived early and unpacked several stacks of paper promptly asked me for my citations. What references made this material worthwhile?

I looked at him and said that frankly that was not the purpose of the seminar. I would be presenting some tools that I had found useful, and that I challenged him to try them, and if they were useful, to use them.

His jaw dropped. "You're not going to provide scholarly citations?"

I shrugged. "No."

He stuffed his papers back into his briefcase and stalked out of the room.

I looked around and told them that if anyone else wanted to leave, I wouldn't be offended. No one else left, and we proceeded to have a good time going over the tools, trying them out with some small exercises, and so forth.

Later I asked a friend about this, and they laughed. They said that might have been the first time that student had been challenged to try something himself, and that he was no doubt extremely surprised that I didn't want to argue citations. They pointed out that he probably had several articles ready to refute me -- that was probably what the stacks of paper were.

I have to admit that for myself, personal utility seems to be one of my best measuring sticks. There are things that are very popular that I personally don't find useful or interesting, and I spend very little time, resources, or effort on them. There are other things -- such as my moldy Writers' Digests -- that I find useful as seeds for thought. I suppose I could use passages from the I Ching, quotations, or other sources, but the various writing texts and magazines help me focus my thinking. I share some of that musing with the list. And frankly, if it works for you -- if it sparks something in your thinking and life -- that's fine. If it doesn't work, well, go ahead and discard it, I won't be offended.

Try it. If it helps, use it. If it doesn't, go on.

And enjoy your day.