Too Fast Too Think.

The premise for Chris Lewis’s book is that we are facing a rapidly changing environment with information overloading us every day.  As a result, we are reading less, thinking less, relaxing less, and thereby losing their ability to focus and think creatively.  Makes sense so far.
Chris strongly puts forward the position that our education system is broken.  The traditional 3-4 year university degree then pop off to work is becoming less relevant than before and failing people who might learn in different ways. This system could also be failing us from achieving our full creativity potential.  Systems can improve I guess.

My challenge is, is creativity really in decline? I know creativity is hard to measure, but where is that decline exactly?  Yes, we are under more pressure than ever (I think), but I am still seeing a lot of innovation in a bunch of areas.  Particularly in the digital and on-line space - driven by the generation of people who are the ones accused of reading less and being overwhelmed by the digital world.  So, I’m struggling to come all the way with you on this one Chris.  

Additionally, over the last 80 years successive generations IQ are greater than the one before?* I’m sure there are a bunch of reasons for this, but maybe our education system could have something to do with this achievement also? There were a wide range of interviews gathering the opinions of experienced leaders, decrying that the creativity of the youth is in decline. I’m sorry, but I need more objective proof than listening to my parents grumble that I watch too much television.  

There is some neat stuff in this book, including some interviews with very talented and creative people.  Interviews with them talking subjectively about how they work and where their creativity comes from, I loved that, it’s subjective yes, –  but also 100% valid for them.  Additionally the breadth of creative leaders identified, particularly in talking to leaders in the charitable world was a great build on a normal business book - and there was even a chapter at the end with ideas on how to think more creatively.  

For me, the book was a bit strong on opinion and light on evidence.  So I’m sorry Chris, I just don’t buy it.

*Smarter, Wiser, Calmer, Focused. Dr Peter Steidl, 2016.