A Psychology Professor Shares the Five Surprising of Original Thinkers

Many of us who have a mental health challenge are creative type people who original thinkers.  For example, artist Vincent van Gogh, composer George Frideric Handel (who most likely wrote the Messiah during a manic episode), author Ernest Hemmingway, Winston Church and former president Abraham Lincoln.  This list could go on an on!

So, how do creative people come up with great ideas? Organizational psychologist Adam Grant studies “originals”: thinkers who dream up new ideas and take action to put them into the world. In this talk, learn three unexpected habits of originals — including embracing failure. “The greatest originals are the ones who fail the most, because they’re the ones who try the most,” Grant says. “You need a lot of bad ideas in order to get a few good ones.”

Check out this TedTalk about Adam Grant on the surprising habits of original thinkers.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxbCHn6gE3U]

Here’s a few articles on creativity (original thinking) and mental illness:

• The Real Link Between Creativity and Mental Illness

• Mental Illness and Creativity

• Creative People’s Brains Really Do Work Differently