There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.
Edward De BonoRead
Removing the faults in a stage-coach may produce a perfect stage-coach, but it is unlikely to produce the first motor car.
Interpretation
Improving existing ideas may not lead to groundbreaking innovations.
This quote by Edward De Bono illustrates the concept that focusing solely on refining and correcting current systems (like a stage-coach) may not foster revolutionary advancements (such as the motor car). It suggests that true innovation often requires thinking beyond existing models and embracing new possibilities rather than just striving for perfection in what already exists.
In practice
In a seminar on technological advancement, one might quote this to encourage thinking outside the box.
There is no doubt that creativity is the most important human resource of all. Without creativity, there would be no progress, and we would be forever repeating the same patterns.
Dealing with complexity is an inefficient and unnecessary waste of time, attention and mental energy. There is never any justification for things being complex when they could be simple.
As competition intensifies, the need for creative thinking increases. It is no longer enough to do the same thing better . . . no longer enough to be efficient and solve problems.
Most of the mistakes in thinking are inadequacies of perception rather than mistakes of logic.
(...) being right all the time acquires a huge importance in education, and there is this terror of being wrong. The ego is so tied to being right that later on in life you are reluctant to accept that you are ever wrong, because you are defending not the idea but your self-esteem. (...) this terror of being wrong means that people have enormous difficulties in changing ideas.
Argument is meant to reveal the truth, not to create it.
Companies over-emphasize idea generation and under-emphasize idea execution when it comes to innovation.
If every effect of any new products or methods were required to be known before they could be produced and marketed, they would not be true innovations - and thus not represent new knowledge of what people would like, if offered.
I believe we are in a world where innovation in stuff was outlawed. It was basically outlawed in the last 40 years - part of it was environmentalism, part of it was risk aversion.
What makes the United States great, the reason people wanted to live in the United States, move here still, is because of our ability to innovate.
Most innovation is not done by research institutes and national laboratories. It comes from manufacturing - from companies that want to extend their product reach, improve their costs, increase their returns. What's very important is in-house research.
To be an inventor, you have to be willing to live with a sense of uncertainty, to work in this darkness and grope towards an answer, to put up with anxiety about whether there is an answer.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.