We grow up thinking that the best answer is in someone else's brain. Much of our education is an elaborate game of 'guess what's in the teacher's head?' What the world really needs to know right now is what kind of dreams and ideas are in your head.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes the importance of individual thoughts and creativity over merely replicating others' ideas.
Roger Von Oech highlights the traditional approach to education, where students often feel they need to conform to their teachers' expectations rather than expressing their own unique ideas and dreams. He urges a shift in focus, advocating for the recognition and development of personal creativity and innovative thinking, which he believes are essential for societal progress.
In practice
A teacher might use this quote to inspire students to think outside the box in their projects.
If you fall in love with an idea, you won't see the merits of alternative approaches-and will probably miss an opportunity or two. One of life's great pleasures is letting go of a previously cherished idea. Then you're free to look for new ones. What part of your idea are you in love with? What would happen if you kissed it goodbye?
Take advantage of the ambiguity in the world. Look at something and think what else it might be.
Look for the second right answer.
It's easy to come up with new ideas; the hard part is letting go of what worked for you two years ago, but will soon be out-of-date.
Everyone has a 'risk muscle.' You keep it in shape by trying new things. If you don't, it atrophies. Make a point of using it at least once a day.
Like all those possessing a library, Aurelian was aware that he was guilty of not knowing his in its entirety.
For every fresh stage in our lives we need a fresh education, and there is no stage for which so little educational preparation is made as that which follows the reproductive period.
Kids all want to look cool, as if knowledge is a great burden, but they're always looking around. They remember.
I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose.
Secretly, in studies and attics and schoolrooms all over America, people must be writing.
I say to the grownups, if you want to deny evolution and live in your world, that's completely inconsistent with the world we observe, that's fine. But don't make your kids do it. Because we need them. We need scientifically literate voters and taxpayers for the future. We need engineers that can build stuff and solve problems.
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