Intercourse
Even the procreating is -in most cases- an identical equation following our lifecycle: Female + Male = Baby. There is rarely a 3rd, 4th or 100th entity involved during the actual process. This is not true however when it comes to brain babies. Big ideas accumulated through the joining of other ideas, but this requires a degree of understanding and trust - not unlike the physical manifestation.
Usually, innovations come into existence by the grace of preceding technologies. It is often the idea of smashing together existing ideas in a specific way. The new concept is a concept of concepts, a remix. 'Connecting the dots', as the late Steve Jobs used to say. Kind of like the process of getting children. The DNA of whom is “nothing” but a recombination of their parent's DNA with a flavor of dogma.
Unicourse
There never seemed to be a purpose for having so many courses at primary school, high school and university. Only in hindsight do you realize these can be used specifically for thinking outside the box, understanding other specialists' perspectives and more importantly: Knowing that finding a solution does not always have the same route or starting direction.
Thinking creatively, means making up things as you go along, given a solid (e.g. true, factual, evidence-based) foundation; the 'box'. You do not have access to a printed version of what to do, like a robot following a protocol. It is about making up your itinerary as you travel. The difference between going on a beach holiday and active globetrotting.
Intracourse
To make that mental leap, you first have to let go of what you know. You cannot fill a cup that is already full. And if people around always keep filling it, you will never get the chance to create your own ideas or develop your thoughts. This is also the biggest problem with an open mind: People will always try to put something in.
The trajectory towards becoming an idea slave later in life, is what we must wake for as students. Not blindly accepting everything, yet also being open to others, yet this requires an open or empty mind to begin with. No judgements. No opinions. Just brainstorm. This is why -once you have the ability to analyze your own thoughts and emotional behavior objectively- spending time with yourself, should precede spending time with others. A mental intracourse.
Embrace Emptiness
If you cannot truly listen to yourself, how can you truly listen to others?And we all know that listening is something you can only do well without noise. This is where choosing to be in solitude comes in and training to have an empty mind, when engaging people and their ideas, starts.
