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Do you constantly have a messy desk? Swimming in a sea of unread emails? Have 17 different half-assed to-do lists scattered “around here somewhere”? Well, you can finally tell your nosy boss to shove it because according to science, you’re not lazy, you’re just smarter than him.
Everyone give a big round of applause to neuroscientist Robert Thatcher, who figured out that our self-proclaimed “organized chaos” is actually an indicator of our intelligence. His research focuses on the idea that intelligent, creative people don’t just have a tendency toward chaos, but they actually need it in order to succeed. Several different studies were conducted, but all led toward the same result of intelligence working through disorganization.
Research has shown that having multiple hobbies helps you to form new connections in problem-solving situations, while reading multiple things at the same time helps you to create new ideas. Is your mind wandering during a meeting? You’re probably more creative. Can’t focus on anything? You may be on the verge of a breakthrough.
From TIME:
Ideas need to be sloshing around or crashing in to one another to produce breakthroughs:
∙ Johnson cites research showing that the volume of ideas bouncing about make large cities disproportionately more creative than smaller towns.
∙ Having multiple hobbies allows your brain to subconsciously compare and contrast problems and solutions, forming new connections at the margins of each.
∙ Similarly, reading multiple books at the same time vs serially lets your brain juxtapose new ideas and develop new connections.
∙ Wandering minds are more creative.
∙ Studying a field “too much” doesn’t limit creativity — it does the opposite. More ideas banging about just produces even more ideas.
∙ The “accept everything” mantra of brainstorming doesn’t work. Debate is far more effective. Let those ideas fight.
∙ ADD and bipolar disorder are both associated with greater creativity. When you’re drunk or exhausted your brain is poised for breakthroughs.
∙ Even with teams, it’s better to mix up experience levels, familiarity with one another and other factors to keep things rough around the edges.
So let your workspace look like a hurricane aftermath photo, and when someone asks you about it, just tell them you’re a genius. It’s bound to go over just fine. .
[via TIME]
Image via Shutterstock
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Steph W.
Steph W. is a new Master's degree graduate with an intern's salary and six-figure taste. She realizes her expectations far exceed reality, so she spends her days pinning away Loubs she pretends are in her physical closet instead of her virtual one. Her hobbies include attempting to trapping her boyfriend into marriage before he finds out how insane she is and pretending that Black Box wine tastes as good as the kind she could afford when she was gainfully employed. Send her tips for getting out of student debt at recruitchairtsm@gmail.com
@therecruitchair
My boss is a woman, so saying “suck it” might be playing it a little too fast and loose…
Here’s your subpoena for sexual harassment. Enjoy!