Embracing The Idiot

The definition of an idiot is "someone of subnormal intelligence", or  "incapable of ordinary reasoning."  (Not sure if you're an idiot? Try this) But, for years, many creatives have lived with the moldy assumption that creativity and intelligence are separate. Thanks to the likes of Ken Robinson, among others, there is a movement, as Ken writes in his terrific book "The Element" to make creativity “operational” and reconnect it to intelligence. That's all fine, creativity and intelligence shouldn't be seen as separate. But, I think there might be some value in being voluntarily stupid, to embrace my inner idiot. I could skip down the lane as an imbecile, and forgo the "professional skills" oft associated with being really smart, and instead escape ordinary reasoning for a while. Is that even possible?

I love smart people, smart writing, and smart workplaces. But the places where I work and visit are overburdened by the weight of collective smarts. The processes, rules, regulations, programs, spread sheets and a million other smart distractions have turned the average worker in a kind of organizational sherpas. We have so much smart thinking, highly educated, academic approaches to building and sustaining our communities, that perhaps...just maybe, we've gone too far and we're carrying around more than we should. 

I'm advocating taking a portion of time and devoting that time to idiot pursuits. I don't mean sitting on the couch and clutching a beer and watching some crappy rerun, but actually doing things that are less predictable, goofy, even idiotic. Oh, you can get back to being your big, smart self later, but for a few hours, why not "play dumb" and look at your world from the prospective of the ignoramus.  Give your shiny smart talking mumbo a break, and do something positively ridiculous. 

Do it, you idiot!

1.) Pick a personal problem, and brainstorm the stupidest solutions you can imagine. You might be surprised what you find. 

2.) Convene a meeting with your fellow dimwits, and start an undercover movement to challenge all the smart stuff that gets in the way of making meaningful connections with others. 

3.) Listen to music you wouldn't be caught dead with!  Exchange your jazz for heavy metal, push back on country, and listen to show tunes. Listen to music you consider mindless gutter rot!  

Okay, enough. I know we don't have to be idiotic to think differently, and that being thoughtlessly stupid is no path towards enlightenment. However, we need to find an escape hatch from the well-intentioned drive towards complexity, and do whatever we can to get rid of what's no longer necessary. The less we have, the more we can connect with others, and that is what most of us long for. 

Comments

[Bill Hermann]

Loving this!