People Don’t Like Creative Thinking, Even if the Say They Do
How often have you called something or someone weird simply because they did or suggested something unconventional? Perhaps that was an unconscious dismissal to creativity? We often sing the praises of creativity, but in reality, we dismiss anything that isn't familiar and tow the lines of how we believe things should be.
We stick to the 'tried and true' safe methods because we experience control and certainty, while creative pursuits never guarantee a particular result. To most people, that uncertainty can be terrifying and unsettling, especially when there's something of value at risk, such as work or family.
Studies have shown the irony of what we say about creativity versus how we feel actually about it. Our conscious or unconscious dislike for creativity stems from the feeling of discomfort and uncertainty that it creates, which most of us are averse to.
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The Surprising Science Behind Creativity
Much information about people's perceptions of creativity relies on direct, explicit self-reports. However, self-reporting poses a significant challenge due to the biases such as religious faith, experiences, societal norms, and expectations.
In a study by Krause, Verenav, Goncalo, Jack A. and Tadmor, Carmit T., Goncalo, Jack A. stated that," Most of the research on religiosity and thinking about God…is quite positive…it makes you more pro-social, more cooperative…You follow the rules. But from my study of creativity, I've learned that creative ideas often come from rebelling against authority and breaking tradition. Being competitive, not cooperative. So, I began to think these two things might not be compatible…belief in God may be good for many things, but not enhancing creativity".
A summary of their study highlights an experiment conducted to test this thesis. Two groups of participants were asked to brainstorm new creative ideas. One set was asked to think about God, and the other to think about a neutral topic before the brainstorming session. It showed that those who thought about God yielded fewer ideas, and this was especially true for participants who were said to be believers in God.
Professor Jack Goncalo of the University of Illinois has conducted several studies in the area of creativity, including the implicit impressions of creative people and concludes that people tend to rank a product/person/idea low when it's associated with stigmatized or controversial fields. Bias associated with other stigmatized or controversial fields, such as cannabis, gambling, sex, nudity, gender etc., affect how we judge creativity in those confines, even though we may be unwilling to admit it or are unaware of it. He cites a real-life example of French painter Henri de Toulouse Lautrec, who was only recognized after his death because his paintings of prostitutes, alcoholics and drug addicts was thought to be controversial.
Professor Goncalo and his team conducted an experiment to reveal the explicit and implicit impressions of the same creative situation. In the first study, the participants were told the same narrative of two inventors. The implicit results revealed the same impression for all; the inventors were considered equally creative. For the second study, the details were adjusted. For one inventor, the invention was a running shoe; for the other, the invention was a sex toy. The explicit results revealed a downgrade of creativity for the sex toy inventor in relation to the running shoe. The difference in explicit versus implicit impressions has birthed implicit evaluations as a way to delve into those views and get a more accurate and straightforward picture of the beliefs people have about creativity.
Based on the information above, you may have an idea or invention that is creative. But because it exists in a controversial or embarrassing domain, people are reluctant to show support and/or admit that it is creative.
So, don't let any bias stop you from realizing any creative pursuit you have. This also means that socially stigmatized fields hold much potential for creative ventures, especially because people are scared/reluctant to pursue their interests in these areas. Perhaps before we dismiss anything unusual or rank a thing as low in creativity, let's take a minute to ask ourselves why we feel the way we do.
