How To Think And Act Differently

[Tony Severino]

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We are all born with some degree of creativity. Some people have much more than others. Some maybe able to create beautiful music, other fantastic drawings or paintings. Others can work through the intricacies of a contract. Whatever gifts each of us possess, it is up to us as individuals to develop them. Unfortunately, whatever natural abilities we do have are sometimes stifled at a very young age as we are brought up thorough the structure of societies rules and put into a controlled academic society. That is why for example sometimes children with great artistic abilities go to the Julliard School in New York City.

It is in the public school system that we are told to think the way others think and do what we are instructed to do. Rather than to be encouraged to think creatively , we are often told that there is only one correct answer to the problem. That in its very nature that can suffocate the creativeness that we all are born with. We are warned not to “rock the boatâ€, or to “get in line†with everyone else. We are told to be practical or logical and not be foolish. We are taught to use the brain but are discouraged to use the creative part of our mind.

If we try to act or think different and creative way, we are quickly rebuked by those around us. their attitudes toward us are expressed by their verbal responses. “Don’t be so different†or “Don’t be silly†or maybe even “that wont workâ€. If we hear constant negative reinforcement enough times, like a animal with an electric fence, we quickly learn to back off and not to “rock the boatâ€. We are conditioned to stay away from the fence or in the context of this course, to stay away from the different thoughts or solutions to problems. It is difficult to “buck the systemâ€. Norman Podhoretz , the editor at large for Commentary magazine (I recommend that you take a look at this magazine even if only online) said it best “ Creativity represents a miraculous coming together of the uninhibited energy of the child with its apparent opposite and enemy, the sense of order imposed on the disciplined adult intelligence. â€
Self esteem and self confidence are also at stake. Abraham Maslow, a human development theorist, studied people with healthy personalities and believed that people have the ability to be creative in their decisions about life. These decisions lead each of us on a journey of continuous development and self fulfillment. If we choose to “do what we are told†we never allow ourselves to grow.

As Maslow suggests, we must continue to move forward, one step at a time, in order to achieve all our potential. Most of us are stuck, we are only focusing on our basic needs. The area of self esteem seems to be something that is difficult for most people to have a hard time with. Some people are constantly looking for approval and recognition for something in which we strive to develop a level of competence in. An example of this may be your job or your education. Some folks have the need to further their education to simply get one more degree. Sometimes it is a vicious circle when you work hard your entire life at your job to get the recognition from your supervisors and family, but it never seems to come. Neither the verbal, nor the financial acknowledgment we want appear. It then becomes difficult, if not impossible to leave the comfort zone of conformity and move away from everything that appears to be safe and secure.
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