It’s said that all children are born with divergent thinking. Within 5 years of the schooling system, it’s all but gone. If you ask an adult how many ways they can close a door, they might say, “you can do it hard, soft or medium…so three.” A better thinker might say, “you could close it with your hand or foot, or you could bump it with your hip or your butt…so four.” A better thinker again, might say, “I can think of at least ten different ways. Half of those involve closing it from the outside (pushing), and the other half from the inside (pulling).”
How would a divergent thinker respond? They wouldn’t jump to conclusions, as if a door is a door. They’d think for themselves, and ask questions. “How big is the door? What is it made of? How heavy is it? Does it have a handle? What kind of handle? Is the door suspended from hinges or does it slide? If it slides, does it slide horizontally or vertically? Is it automated or manually operated?”
Guarding your mind is an important part of life. It is the difference between heaven and hell, a prison cell or a life of freedom. Before deciding what it right and wrong, it’s good to make a habit of exploring a topic in a divergent way.
More than anything, it’s good to think for yourself, especially when it comes the trillion dollar industry known as Wellness.
