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Everything Begins as an Idea
And the good ones are worth way more than a dime a dozen
Everything begins as an idea.
Whether you’re in business, school, jail, or debt, that’s how it all gets rolling. First there’s the idea, then there’s the manifestation of the idea — assuming, of course, that the person with the idea has their act together.
If you have any doubt, take a look around you.
Everything you see began as an idea: The microchip, the chocolate chip, the fishing net, the internet, the company you work for, and the company you keep. All of it. Everything. Even the universe, some say, began as an idea in the mind of the Creator.
Well then, if it all begins with an idea, where in the world do ideas come from?
There are two schools of thought on this subject.
The first ascribes the origin of ideas to the efforts of inspired individuals who, through a series of spontaneously occurring or purposeful mental processes, arrive at a useful new possibility.
The second school ascribes the appearance of ideas to a transcendent force, a.k.a. the “Collective Unconscious,” the “Platonic realm” the “Muse,” or the “Mind of God.”
“If you do not express your own original ideas, if you do not listen to your own being, you will have betrayed yourself.” — Rollo May
According to this perspective, ideas are not created, but already exist, becoming accessible to human beings who have tuned themselves finely enough to be able to receive them.
The first approach is usually considered Western, with a strong bias towards thinking. It is best summarized by Rene Descarte’s “I think therefore I am” maxim.
Most business people subscribe to this approach, as it gives great weight to the power of…
