where ideas come from

Rodcorp points at a splendid piece about Ronald S. Burt and his thoughts about where ideas come from.

Two things resonated with me: "People who live in the intersection of social worlds," Mr. Burt writes, "are at higher risk of having good ideas." I like that and I think it's why I'm so fond of the way blogging lets you discover new social worlds.

And this passage : Mr. Burt's theory may offer some caution for people who have been trying to enlarge their social networks on the Web by using "social software" at sites like Friendster, Ryze and MySpace. The idea underlying these computer hookups is that the better connected you are, the more valuable social capital you will have. But Mr. Burt's work suggests the opposite: expanding your network may fill in the structural holes, eliminating their creative benefits. By linking everyone together indiscriminately, it becomes increasingly difficult to reach outside your regular contacts and surprise anyone with a new idea. : reminds me of Richard's theory that reading all the usual planning books is no use to him, offers no competitive advantage. Instead, he tries to read, 'weird shit'.

Comments

[John Dodds]

Personally, I always think I have great difficulty in generating ideas from a blank sheet (as demonstrated by my inability to come up with more than three maple syrup ideas), but for some reason I can edit and tweak really well. This article makes me feel less inadequate!

[Will]

Too much time spent on social networking sites may promote social introversion and laziness -I completely agree with that.

I think to be a true creative generalist (much as I dislike the term), it's all about balance. Too much 'weird shit' and you are in danger of losing site of the bigger picture, but not enough means that yes, you think along similar (and often generic) lines.

[Graham]

This rang a few bells Russell. What with all the new media things I get to write about and think about. I got some of my best ideas when the juxtaposition of thought and place were most striking. I miss living in Vietnam for that.