Divergent thinking.

It's been almost a year since my last update here...fail, I know. But every time that I'd thought about something I wanted to write about, I either forgot what it was (this happened a lot, actually, I'd be like "Hey, I want to talk about this in my blog!" and then later I'd be like "Oh, fuck, what was I going to write about again?" *headdesk*) or, by the time I'd start to talk about a certain topic, I wouldn't feel as intensely about it anymore as I did when I was thinking about it before, so I figured there was no point in continuing the entry. Words without passion behind them, in my opinion, are just...empty, and what's the point on sharing your thoughts on a certain subject if there's no meaning behind it? I wouldn't want to read that, and I certainly don't want to write something like that.

(By the way, I'm not saying that every single thing I talk about is loaded with meaning and has deep thought behind it. Honestly, I think over half the things I write are overflowing with flaily keymashes and capslock abuse- and when I'm writing about things that have happened in my day/life, I usually don't put that much thought into it unless I'm reflecting on something- but if I'm going to spend the time to discuss a specific topic)

Anyway, what I really came here to talk about is divergent thinking.

If anyone reading this isn't familiar with that term, divergent thinking is the process of coming up with a bunch of different answers for one question or problem. When you've answered open-ended or essay questions in school, you're using divergent thinking. House uses divergent thinking when he tries to figure out how to figure out whatever mysterious illness is causing a patient's symptoms. Basically, you have multiple approaches you can take to to arrive at an answer- and, depending on the situation, it may or may not be the same answer, but it's still a working solution. This contrasts with convergent thinking, in which there is only one solution to a problem and usually only one way to approach it. For example, if you're taking a test that requires you to provide definitions, there's only one answer you can give- whatever the definition of that word is.

I'm a huge advocate of divergent thinking. I had trouble phrasing the above paragraph without making me sound biased, because I think that being able to approach one problem or issue or idea in many different ways is amazing and something that people tend to underestimate. If everyone had the same views on everything, I feel like we'd never get anywhere. Yes, different perspectives can cause conflicts, and sometimes it can be incredibly frustrating when two sides oppose each other so strongly that it seems like the issue in question will never get solved. However, if one person comes up with what they believe to be the only solution to a problem and everyone else just goes along with it, that won't necessarily work out; if there are any major flaws in the plan, it would be a lot better to point them out as soon as possible and try to fix/work around them, rather than attempt to pick up the pieces after the original plan falls apart. That's why I'm always so interested in hearing different people's perspectives on things- it's always so intriguing to me to hear all the various ways that people feel about the same topic. Even if I don't agree with someone else's point of view, at least I can understand where they're coming from.

I feel like society (at least in America) emphasizes convergent thinking more than divergent thinking- I was discussing this with one of my friends, and she said that's because it can be tested more easily, which is true, but it just frustrates me. Not that I don't think convergent thinking is important- there are definitely cases in which there's only one solution to a problem and it just needs to be solved as quickly and efficiently as possible- but I hate the fact that things like memorization and repetition seem to be valued more than independent thought and understanding. Of course it's important to memorize things and know your information, but if you just have the facts in your head but don't grasp the underlying concepts, then how much is that really worth?

The definition of convergent thinking on Wikipedia states that "it generally means the ability to give the correct answer to standard questions that do not require significant creativity." And that makes me a little upset, honestly, because why would anyone want to plant the idea in people's minds that creativity isn't important? I know I'm exaggerating slightly, and that there are so many people out there who appreciate unique thoughts and ideas, but it just scares me to think of anyone reinforcing the idea that thinking creatively doesn't matter as long as you're able to memorize facts and perform well on tests. I just value independent thought and creativity so much, and I think it deserves just as much of a focus- I feel like people so greatly underestimate these things, and it makes me sad and frustrated because the ability to express your thoughts and ideas is something that, to me, should never be put down.

I could go on and on about this, but I think I'll stop now before I get to the point where I'm just reiterating the same thing over and over again (that is, if I haven't reached that point already...) I don't know how frequently I'll be updating, but it feels good to post something here again. :)