How to avoid reinventing the wheel?

Question

It seems that I often think I have a clever insight the is shiny and new but it is only that I am trying to reinvent a well established "wheel" that works just fine already.
Should I just accept the fact that I am just medicore when compared to histories great minds and become a humble follower of well established philosophies or should I continue to persue that holy grail of original thought?

Answer 1

Definitely the latter.



1) Think what you've originally done with your 'Proof Of God' posts of previous-fame.



2) You weren't re-inventing the wheel; but 'chunking' several geniouses together, including your own.



3) Reinventing the wheel has become synonymous with 'if ain't broke don't fix it'; but both are fallacies, because they leave out the possibility that sometimes the wheel can be improved upon. And in that real sense.....



4) Reinvented...

Answer 2

Creative thought is one of those things that does perform well on demand. When you are off walking though the woods or fishing or late night chatting with buddies I bet ideas and "what if" questions come pouring out. It's like after a great sleep or a weekend away you suddenly see the answer for a problem you didn't know you were thinking about.

Trying to be original has you so nervous the your internal editor telling you, you are a hack.

I've done that with writing. I've written some decent impromptu articles but give me a deadline and a topic and I've never read such drivel. Saying it's mediocre is way too kind.

Take the pressure off. Give yourself permission to explore previously explored paths and you might just find your own offshoot. You might end up seeing things in a different way. You can't force it. Inspiration comes from the weirdest places. Life live and see what occurs.

Please enjoy the journey. I'll look forward to one day

reading your amazing insights. I'm sure it will be worth the wait. Good luck. Sculptress

Answer 3

Do not give up trying to reinvent the wheel. Humility should be your guide but, following is an easy and detrimental path. Too many followers already.



Do you suppose M theorists followed the establishment? String theorists?

Answer 4

You know, some engineer at General Motors redesigns the wheel every year. We would be lucky to have his job. Instead we are mired in this imaginitive laboratory, torturing hypothetical victims, in units of 0, 1, countably many and infinity, making undetectable errors, or virtual victories.



Science without application is a vice.

Answer 5

I don't understand your question. Are you simply talking about adopting philosophies to incorporate into your life, or is your aim to be a philosopher or philosophical writer? I really see nothing wrong with continuing to develop your original ideas, and even built on other thoughts. Didn't Kant publish at ~50 years old? Lack of immediate results don't mean failure.

Answer 6

You need access to research or other literature in order to do a reality check. Unfortunately, this is rather difficult depending on the area. Why don't you try the Halfbakery? They would help you work out if it was new or workable and it's fantastically stimulating and friendly.

Answer 7

this applies to any thoughtful endeavor. and of course as billions more people think over millenia of tears those originala thoughtd get more unlikely. but feel free to hold traditional motivations and values (I, myself am a christian) pay the rent, feed the kids &c but still be an original thinker.you probably couldn't stop anyway!

Answer 8

convalescing verbal substitute skills is one mission and changing ones character (character) is yet another even nevertheless your character could effect your verbal substitute skills. you could boost your verbal substitute skills by potential of instructing your self and by potential of observing human beings. know-how supply you the mandatory self esteem to particular your self significant. decide on situation concerns which activity you and additionally are of activity to those human beings you like to speak with. it fairly is activities, artwork, song, politics, wellbeing, society etc. once you have examine something of activity, write it down, overview it, edit it and examine countless situations in front of a replicate. Why in front of the replicate? It helps you to work out your non-verbal verbal substitute (facial expressions, hand strikes etc.) it fairly is as significant because of the fact the phrases you're figuring out on. It desires prepare, yet quickly you will see progression. sturdy luck!

Answer 9

IFF there's an original thought:

1.- Who thought it?

2.- What was it?



Just curious, do you know what that thought was about and who thought it? That's how I avoid it, I always ask myself. It's a dimensional question: Where am I?



Good luck!