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How an Ancient Greek Philosopher Helped Me with Come up with Creative Breakthroughs
You might not think there is anything special about ancient Greek philosophy. I certainly didn’t. But then I encountered the work of Roger von Oech, best-selling author of such books as “A Whack on the Side of the Head” and “A Kick in the Seat of the Pants”. Any time Roger needs a creative breakthrough, he consults with Heraclitus, who was an ancient Greek philosopher famous for his brilliant and provocative sayings.
If you don’t know Heraclitus, he’s famous for the quote “No man steps into the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”
Heraclitus has many more creative insights which you can find in his book Fragments or I’m sure you can find it on the web. Here are five sayings that have helped me find creative solutions to challenging problems:
That which opposes produces a benefit
You might not realize it, but routines prevent us from being creative. I know the best way to get to work, so I’m going to take the same route every day. Or I know how to make a meal that my family enjoys so I’ll make that every time I can. In fact, routines can harm us from finding something new.
