Are breakthroughs social? 7 comments

20 Jun 2007 @ 22:41, by Flemming Funch Matt Mower talks , here too, about breakthroughs, based on Terry Frazier discussing a talk by Lisa Haneberg, who in a talk said this: Breakthroughs happen in a social context, If you aren't out actively promoting your goal or idea, discussing it regularly with friends, colleagues, and strangers and sharing your challenges, achievements, and objectives, you aren't going to make any breakthroughs. Introverts, no matter how smart, rarely make breakthroughs, Breakthroughs do not happen in front of your face. They happen in the connections and gaps and networks that emerge from constant forward action and focus. So, is a breakthrough a social thing? I'm not sure I agree that it is, necessarily. Rather, it sounds like an extrovert speaking. A breakthrough is, I suppose, when there's something somebody wants, and something stopping it which is somewhat complex. So, it is a problem, or dilemma, or a confused situation, where an objective is known, but not being met. Something is stuck. And then, bing, something changes, and you're at another level, a better place, where things are simpler, and things are flowing. Might be just a reframe, you suddenly see things differently. Or you acquire a piece you didn't have before. An individual can do that, or a group. But is that inherently social? I agree that more evolved social networking could be more likely to generate breakthroughs for individuals, breakthroughs in thinking or living. The availability of more social flows might give you an opportunity for being more in the flow. They might, but they won't necessarily. And it is not like it couldn't happen without. Personally I often need people to talk things over with in order to break through something. I need input, and I need to see ideas reflect themselves in other people before I quite know what they mean, and then I make up my own mind. But it works differently for different people. Some people need other people before they can do certain things. Other people need to be alone to do the same thing. And it isn't as simple as extrovert/introvert. One might be extroverted as to some aspects of one's life, and introverted in regards to others. But the question of how social contexts can be more conducive to breakthrough is a very intesting one. How do you lay things out so that routine breakthroughs are the norm?

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Category: Ideas, Creativity 

21 Jun 2007 @ 18:00 by Hanae @69.33.46.10 : The Eureka moment

Archimedes has become a symbol of the famous "breakthrough" moment after his attempt at solving a nasty little problem involving a gold crown belonging to Hiero of Syracuse, lead him to the enunciation of the famous Archimedes's principle. Well, the story goes that the breakthrough occurred to him, while the case still being on his mind, he happened to go to the bath (and bath were, well, somewhat of a "social" occasion, in those days) and on getting into a tub (maybe more of a private moment here, and certainly conductive to introspection) observed that the more his body sank into it the more water ran out over the tub. Upon which transported with joy, he jumped out of the tub and rushed home naked (and how "social" or "asocial" was that in those days, I do not know), shouting repeatedly and loudly: εὑρηκα/ηὑρηκα

And so the interesting point here is...er...

- I am not sure what the interesting point is. -

(Nonetheless, it makes for a good story, as such things go.)

And, ah, yes, Archimedes's "eureka" has come to symbolize the "breakthrough" moment. Is a breakthrough indeed a "moment" or more of a process? In the case of Archimedes it seemed like more of a "moment" thing, almost a "wonder of wonders" Buddha like kind of awakening. But it is also a process in a sense that a context is needed. Nothing comes out of nothing. And is one ever really "alone?"

The Xeno's paradox kicks in: does every little process breaks up into some smaller processes and bits and pieces until it suddenly emerge into a "breakthrough?" Is there some reproducible social contexts patterns there that could be identified and reproduced so that they could be systematized?

What did the Tortoise say to Achilles?  

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