Fundamental creative laziness

Creativity is one of the consequence of laziness

One hundred billion!That is how many neurons there are in a human brain. For each neuron there are 100 trillion connection points. Those numbers are dazzling. Indeed, the human brain is an extremely complex organ. But it is also lazy. Conserving energy has always been crucial for humans’ survival. It allows us to be more efficient when searching for food and shelter, avoiding predators and competing for sexual partners. The brain has evolved to find the quickest, easiest solution to problems, saving as much energy as possible to deal with potential threats. Because of its energy-saving nature, our brains are naturally drawn toward habits and routines. The thing is that routines are reassuring for our brains. This is why children want to hear the same story over and over again. It is not the story itself that is so exciting but the security and convenience of knowing exactly what is going to happen. Doing the same thing as usual does not require resources, and that is the kind of solution that our brains are drawn toward.

This seemingly lazy way of being in the world has a quite remarkable consequence; we become creative. [1] Most likely, we would not have invented the wheel, airplanes, robots or internet if the human brain was less keen on preserving energy sources. Though we have come up with many inventive solutions that make our everyday life easier, you could say that we are constantly forced to work while on an inescapable ascent.

In our society today, hard work is looked upon as morally superior to simply chilling. There is a widespread norm that we are not deserving of taking it easy unless we have been productive. In a way, this is a shame, since laziness is such a big catalyst for creativity. Not only because we feel inclined to invent practical shortcuts, but also because our thought activity increases when we are bored. Researchers from Florida Gulf Coast University have been able to connect physical passivity with intelligence and a higher thought activity. Their study shows that the brain becomes extra active when the body is resting. The study participants that chose to activate themselves physically when they got bored did not experience the effect of increased brain activity. [2]

Unfortunately, this is often what happens in society today, where we are very used to always being entertained or engaged in activity. Boredom has decreased massively since the dawn of the internet and smartphones, and with this research in mind, it is not only for the better. Being bored can actually be healthy for us, and something that we should dare to embrace more frequently. Of course, “creative laziness” is not equal to chilling on the couch. Rather, it means finding time for focused free time where the mind is free to simply wander with no distraction.

Though the world has gone through a massive transformation since the hunter-gatherer period, our brains look and work very much in the same way. The most primitive part of the human brain, sometimes referred to as the “reptile brain,” is embedded in the deep parts of the brain close to the neck and spine. Its main function is to keep us alive. Since repetition is a successful survival strategy, this area has an inbuilt resistance toward change. Mastering the ability to handle change is, ironically enough, a matter of habit. To subject yourself to new environments and tasks regularly will help make you better at coping when they transform. Young people are a good example of this. They have grown up in a malleable society, and hence they are used to the volatility and speed of the 21st century. Statistically, there is no question that these people are more prone to change. They move, get new partners and jobs much more frequently than what was normal in the past, and they have learned to accept that it is impossible to know for sure what tomorrow will bring. It may be that this is what it takes to be able to thrive in a disruptive future.

// Superlab Team

Want to read more about Disruptive innovation? 

Together and with different experts the Design Studio Superlab dive head first into the connections between the psychological, physiological and digital worlds of our time and philosophize about this hazy, fickle and fast approaching future in their book “Disruptive Future – A holistic interpretation of where we are heading“.

https://disruptivefuture.se/

[1] Lazy brain
https://www.med.ubc.ca/news/ha...
[2] The physical sacrifice of thinking: Investigating the relationship between thinking and physical activity in everyday life. https://www.researchgate.net/p...