New Post (109) : 'Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya'
Makar Sankranti is one of the most auspicious occasions for the Hindus, and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country in myriad cultural forms, with great devotion, fervour & gaiety.
It is a harvest festival.
Makar Sankranti is perhaps the only Indian festival whose date always falls on the same day every year i.e. the 14th of January.
Makar Sankranti is the day when the glorious Sun-God begins its ascendancy and entry into the Northern Hemisphere and thus it signifies an event wherein the Sun-God seems to remind their children that 'Tamaso Ma Jyotir Gamaya', may you go higher & higher, to more & more Light and never to Darkness.
To Hindus, the Sun stands for knowledge, spiritual light and wisdom. Makar Sankranti signifies that we should turn away from the darkness of delusion in which we live, and begin to enjoy a new life with bright light within us to shine brighter and brighter. We should gradually begin to grow in purity, wisdom, and knowledge, even as the Sun does from the Day of Makar Sankranti.
Charlie Brown
Friday, January 14, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
From Gangsters to Banksters.
New Post (108) : From Gangsters to Banksters.
1. A few interesting interpretations of the word "bankster" as sourced from the web:
A blend word derived from combining "banker" and "gangster." Usually referred to in the plural form "banksters" to refer to a predatory element within the financial services industry, such as those offering "too good to be true" adjustable mortgage rates for home buyers
A hybrid of the words "banker" and "gangster." These are integral to the capitalist system. While a gangster might steal your possessions with a knife or a gun, a bankster will steal your possessions with a pen, paper and "legal" (read as "unjust") fine print.
A bankster is a member of the financial services industry, primarily interested with the welfare of the capitalist class and their lackeys.
A blending of "banker" and "gangster", used to characterize the inherently fraudulent nature of Fractional-Reserve banking (as opposed to 100% gold reserve backed banking, which is the only honest form of banking).
In more recent popular usage, often refers in a vague way to the forces of "Wall Street", or to those persons in the financial services industry who grow rich despite the continued impoverishment of those who depend on their services, and despite their apparent inability to succeed in business without constant government assistance. Bail outs ?
Small actions by some "artists" , big crashes for "all" & sundry !
2. An alternate view from a highly venerated banker:
http://www.acus.org/new_atlanticist/ackermann-we-stand-crossroads
Charlie Brown
1. A few interesting interpretations of the word "bankster" as sourced from the web:
A blend word derived from combining "banker" and "gangster." Usually referred to in the plural form "banksters" to refer to a predatory element within the financial services industry, such as those offering "too good to be true" adjustable mortgage rates for home buyers
A hybrid of the words "banker" and "gangster." These are integral to the capitalist system. While a gangster might steal your possessions with a knife or a gun, a bankster will steal your possessions with a pen, paper and "legal" (read as "unjust") fine print.
A bankster is a member of the financial services industry, primarily interested with the welfare of the capitalist class and their lackeys.
A blending of "banker" and "gangster", used to characterize the inherently fraudulent nature of Fractional-Reserve banking (as opposed to 100% gold reserve backed banking, which is the only honest form of banking).
In more recent popular usage, often refers in a vague way to the forces of "Wall Street", or to those persons in the financial services industry who grow rich despite the continued impoverishment of those who depend on their services, and despite their apparent inability to succeed in business without constant government assistance. Bail outs ?
Small actions by some "artists" , big crashes for "all" & sundry !
2. An alternate view from a highly venerated banker:
http://www.acus.org/new_atlanticist/ackermann-we-stand-crossroads
Charlie Brown
Significance of 108 in Hinduism and Yoga.
New Post (107) : Significance of 108 in Hinduism and Yoga.
The number's significance is OPEN to interpretation.
But 108 has long been considered a sacred number in Hinduism and yoga.
Traditionally, malas, or garlands of prayer beads, come as a string of 108 beads (plus one for the "guru bead," around which the other 108 beads turn like the planets around the sun).
A mala is used for counting as you repeat a mantra—much like the Catholic rosary.
Renowned mathematicians of Vedic culture viewed 108 as a number of the wholeness of existence.
According to yogic tradition, there are 108 pithas, or sacred sites, throughout India. And there are also 108 Upanishads and 108 marma points, or sacred places of the body.
And, yes, one can offer a yoga mala of 108 Sun Salutations.
Below are some of the many reasons that have been given for having 108 beads on a mala,
…as well as a few other points of interest. None of these reasons are being promoted here as more or less true than the others. However, you may notice that 108 appears to be somewhat like a road map of reality in general, and the human in particular.
Harshad number: 108 is a Harshad number, which is an integer divisible by the sum of its digits (Harshad is from Sanskrit, and means "great joy")
Desires: There are said to be 108 earthly desires in mortals.
Lies: There are said to be 108 lies that humans tell.
Delusions: There are said to be 108 human delusions or forms of ignorance.
Heart Chakra: The chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra. One of them, sushumna leads to the crown chakra, and is said to be the path to Self-realization.
Sanskrit alphabet: There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti. 54 times 2 is 108.
Pranayama: If one is able to be so calm in meditation as to have only 108 breaths in a day, enlightenment will come.
Upanishads: Some say there are 108 Upanishads, texts of the wisdom of the ancient sages.
Sri Yantra: On the Sri Yantra there are marmas where three lines intersect, and there are 54 such intersections. Each intersections has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti qualities. 54 times 2 equals 108. Thus, there are 108 points that define the Sri Yantra as well as the human body.
Marmas: Marmas or marmasthanas are like energy intersections called chakras, except have fewer energy lines converging to form them. There are said to be 108 marmas in the subtle body.
Time: Some say there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present, and 36 related to the future.
Planets and Houses: In astrology, there are 12 houses and 9 planets. 12 times 9 equals 108.
Goddess names: There are said to be 108 Indian goddess names.
Gopis of Krishna: In the Krishna tradition, there were said to be 108 gopis or maid servants of Krishna.
1, 0, and 8: Some say that 1 stands for God or higher Truth, 0 stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 stands for infinity or eternity.
Sun and Earth: The diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth. The distance from the Sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun.
Moon and Earth: The average distance of the Moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Moon.
Silver and the moon: In astrology, the metal silver is said to represent the moon. The atomic weight of silver is 108.
Meditations: Some say there are 108 styles of meditation.
Breath: Tantra estimates the average number of breaths per day at 21,600, of which 10,800 are solar energy, and 10,800 are lunar energy. Multiplying 108 by 100 is 10,800. Multiplying 2 x 10,800 equals 21,600.
Paths to God: Some suggest that there are 108 paths to God.
Smaller divisions: The number 108 is divided, such as in half, third, quarter, or twelfth, so that some malas have 54, 36, 27, or 9 beads.
Hinduism: 108 is said to refer to the number of Hindu deities. Some say that each of the deities has 108 names.
Stages of the soul: Said that Atman, the human soul or center goes through 108 stages on the journey.
Dance: There are 108 forms of dance in the Indian traditions.
Praiseworthy souls: There are 108 qualities of praiseworthy souls.
Meru: This is a larger bead, not part of the 108. It is not tied in the sequence of the other beads. It is the quiding bead, the one that marks the beginning and end of the mala.
REGARDLESS of the meaning of 108, it is important that if a mala is used to count mantras, the mantra be remembered with sincerity, devotion, feeling, and full attention.
Charlie Brown
The number's significance is OPEN to interpretation.
But 108 has long been considered a sacred number in Hinduism and yoga.
Traditionally, malas, or garlands of prayer beads, come as a string of 108 beads (plus one for the "guru bead," around which the other 108 beads turn like the planets around the sun).
A mala is used for counting as you repeat a mantra—much like the Catholic rosary.
Renowned mathematicians of Vedic culture viewed 108 as a number of the wholeness of existence.
According to yogic tradition, there are 108 pithas, or sacred sites, throughout India. And there are also 108 Upanishads and 108 marma points, or sacred places of the body.
And, yes, one can offer a yoga mala of 108 Sun Salutations.
Below are some of the many reasons that have been given for having 108 beads on a mala,
…as well as a few other points of interest. None of these reasons are being promoted here as more or less true than the others. However, you may notice that 108 appears to be somewhat like a road map of reality in general, and the human in particular.
Harshad number: 108 is a Harshad number, which is an integer divisible by the sum of its digits (Harshad is from Sanskrit, and means "great joy")
Desires: There are said to be 108 earthly desires in mortals.
Lies: There are said to be 108 lies that humans tell.
Delusions: There are said to be 108 human delusions or forms of ignorance.
Heart Chakra: The chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra. One of them, sushumna leads to the crown chakra, and is said to be the path to Self-realization.
Sanskrit alphabet: There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti. 54 times 2 is 108.
Pranayama: If one is able to be so calm in meditation as to have only 108 breaths in a day, enlightenment will come.
Upanishads: Some say there are 108 Upanishads, texts of the wisdom of the ancient sages.
Sri Yantra: On the Sri Yantra there are marmas where three lines intersect, and there are 54 such intersections. Each intersections has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti qualities. 54 times 2 equals 108. Thus, there are 108 points that define the Sri Yantra as well as the human body.
Marmas: Marmas or marmasthanas are like energy intersections called chakras, except have fewer energy lines converging to form them. There are said to be 108 marmas in the subtle body.
Time: Some say there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present, and 36 related to the future.
Planets and Houses: In astrology, there are 12 houses and 9 planets. 12 times 9 equals 108.
Goddess names: There are said to be 108 Indian goddess names.
Gopis of Krishna: In the Krishna tradition, there were said to be 108 gopis or maid servants of Krishna.
1, 0, and 8: Some say that 1 stands for God or higher Truth, 0 stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 stands for infinity or eternity.
Sun and Earth: The diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth. The distance from the Sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun.
Moon and Earth: The average distance of the Moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Moon.
Silver and the moon: In astrology, the metal silver is said to represent the moon. The atomic weight of silver is 108.
Meditations: Some say there are 108 styles of meditation.
Breath: Tantra estimates the average number of breaths per day at 21,600, of which 10,800 are solar energy, and 10,800 are lunar energy. Multiplying 108 by 100 is 10,800. Multiplying 2 x 10,800 equals 21,600.
Paths to God: Some suggest that there are 108 paths to God.
Smaller divisions: The number 108 is divided, such as in half, third, quarter, or twelfth, so that some malas have 54, 36, 27, or 9 beads.
Hinduism: 108 is said to refer to the number of Hindu deities. Some say that each of the deities has 108 names.
Stages of the soul: Said that Atman, the human soul or center goes through 108 stages on the journey.
Dance: There are 108 forms of dance in the Indian traditions.
Praiseworthy souls: There are 108 qualities of praiseworthy souls.
Meru: This is a larger bead, not part of the 108. It is not tied in the sequence of the other beads. It is the quiding bead, the one that marks the beginning and end of the mala.
REGARDLESS of the meaning of 108, it is important that if a mala is used to count mantras, the mantra be remembered with sincerity, devotion, feeling, and full attention.
Charlie Brown
Number fifty-four, the house with the bamboo door.
New Post (106) : Number fifty-four, the house with the bamboo door.
1. Southern Sudan’s 9 million people are preparing to vote in a referendum in January that will likely result in the splitting of Africa’s biggest country.
But, with the North reluctant to let the oil-rich South go fears are growing that the vote might reignite one of Africa’s longest-running civil wars.
2. Salva Kiir’s Statement at the Eve of Voting (Referendum, Freedom) Day.
“Greetings in the name of the Republic of South Sudan,
We have been waiting for more than …54 (Fifty Four) Years …for this Freedom Day of January 9, 2011 which was set by the Almighty God for the People of South Sudan to cross the river to the Promised Land”.
Reminded me of…
3. House of Bamboo -Earl Grant
Number fifty-four,
The house with the bamboo door,
Bamboo roof and bamboo walls,
They've even got a bamboo floor!
You must get to know Soho Joe,
He runs an Expresso,
Called the House of Bamboo.
It's a made of sticks.
Sticks and bricks,
But you can get your kicks
In the house of bamboo.
In this casino,
You can drink a chino,
And it's gotcha swingin' to the cha cha
Dance the bolero in a sombrero.
Shake like a snake!
You wanna stop in when the cats are hoppin'.
Let your two feet move-a to the big beat;
Pick yourself a kitten and listen to a platter
That rocks the juke-box!
I'm-a telling you,
When you're blue,
Well there's a lot to do
In the House Of Bamboo.
Lets go go!
You must get to know, Soho Joe,
He runs an Expresso,
Called the House of Bamboo
In this casino, you can drink a chino
Let your two feet move-a to the big beat;
Pick yourself a kitten and listen to a platter
That rocks
I'm-a telling you,
When you're blue,
Well there's a lot to do
In the House Of Bamboo.
Number fifty-four,
The house with the bamboo door,
Bamboo roof and bamboo walls,
They've even got a bamboo floor!
House of Bamboo -Earl Grant
4. With Sudan split in to 2
-how many countries would Africa have ? 54 ?
-Will that halve the poverty. I think not.
Charlie Brown
1. Southern Sudan’s 9 million people are preparing to vote in a referendum in January that will likely result in the splitting of Africa’s biggest country.
But, with the North reluctant to let the oil-rich South go fears are growing that the vote might reignite one of Africa’s longest-running civil wars.
2. Salva Kiir’s Statement at the Eve of Voting (Referendum, Freedom) Day.
“Greetings in the name of the Republic of South Sudan,
We have been waiting for more than …54 (Fifty Four) Years …for this Freedom Day of January 9, 2011 which was set by the Almighty God for the People of South Sudan to cross the river to the Promised Land”.
Reminded me of…
3. House of Bamboo -Earl Grant
Number fifty-four,
The house with the bamboo door,
Bamboo roof and bamboo walls,
They've even got a bamboo floor!
You must get to know Soho Joe,
He runs an Expresso,
Called the House of Bamboo.
It's a made of sticks.
Sticks and bricks,
But you can get your kicks
In the house of bamboo.
In this casino,
You can drink a chino,
And it's gotcha swingin' to the cha cha
Dance the bolero in a sombrero.
Shake like a snake!
You wanna stop in when the cats are hoppin'.
Let your two feet move-a to the big beat;
Pick yourself a kitten and listen to a platter
That rocks the juke-box!
I'm-a telling you,
When you're blue,
Well there's a lot to do
In the House Of Bamboo.
Lets go go!
You must get to know, Soho Joe,
He runs an Expresso,
Called the House of Bamboo
In this casino, you can drink a chino
Let your two feet move-a to the big beat;
Pick yourself a kitten and listen to a platter
That rocks
I'm-a telling you,
When you're blue,
Well there's a lot to do
In the House Of Bamboo.
Number fifty-four,
The house with the bamboo door,
Bamboo roof and bamboo walls,
They've even got a bamboo floor!
House of Bamboo -Earl Grant
4. With Sudan split in to 2
-how many countries would Africa have ? 54 ?
-Will that halve the poverty. I think not.
Charlie Brown
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Motivational Quotes For The Board Exam.
New Post (105) : Motivational Quotes For The Board Exam.
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation and hard work ” General Colin Powell
“Few minds wear out; most rust out.” Christian Nextell Bovee
“Strength of mind is exercise, not rest.” Alexander Pope
“Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you haven’t planted.” David Bly
“A lot of us would like to move mountains, but few of us are willing to practice on small hills.” Anonymous
“The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.” Chinese Proverb
“Recipe for success: Study while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing; and dream while others are wishing.” William A. Ward
“The best way to finish an unpleasant task is to get started.” Anonymous
“You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result.” Mahatma Gandhi
“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” Conrad Hilton
“Everything you want is out there waiting for you to ask. Everything you want also wants you. But you have to take action to get it.” Jules Renard
“Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.” Yoda
“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.” Nora Roberts
“I’m not telling you it is going to be easy — I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it” Art Williams
“The most painful thing to experience is not defeat but regret” Leo Bascaglia
“Doubt whom you will, but never doubt yourself.” Christian Nestell Bovee
“Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you’re going to do now and do it.” William Durant
“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” Carl Bard
“You’re never a loser till you quit trying.” Anonymous
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Thomas Edison
“Never give in. Never. Never. Never. Never.” Winston Churchill
“Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it’s when you’ve had everything to do and you’ve done it.” Margaret Thatcher
“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is for you.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
“We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” Max DePree
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Mahatma Gandhi
“Learn something new every day under the sun. You will never get old if you do.” Lois Bey
“If we did all the things we were capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” Thomas Edison
How You Can Best Utilize These Exam Quotes
-Pick a few, write them out on post-it and stick them around your monitor
-Write down your favorite quote on the cover of your diary or notepad
-Print the list out and stick it on the wall
Last but not least… Best wishes for your Board exam !
Charlie Brown
“There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation and hard work ” General Colin Powell
“Few minds wear out; most rust out.” Christian Nextell Bovee
“Strength of mind is exercise, not rest.” Alexander Pope
“Striving for success without hard work is like trying to harvest where you haven’t planted.” David Bly
“A lot of us would like to move mountains, but few of us are willing to practice on small hills.” Anonymous
“The journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.” Chinese Proverb
“Recipe for success: Study while others are sleeping; work while others are loafing; prepare while others are playing; and dream while others are wishing.” William A. Ward
“The best way to finish an unpleasant task is to get started.” Anonymous
“You may never know what results come of your action, but if you do nothing there will be no result.” Mahatma Gandhi
“Success seems to be connected with action. Successful people keep moving. They make mistakes, but they don’t quit.” Conrad Hilton
“Everything you want is out there waiting for you to ask. Everything you want also wants you. But you have to take action to get it.” Jules Renard
“Try not. Do or do not, there is no try.” Yoda
“If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place.” Nora Roberts
“I’m not telling you it is going to be easy — I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it” Art Williams
“The most painful thing to experience is not defeat but regret” Leo Bascaglia
“Doubt whom you will, but never doubt yourself.” Christian Nestell Bovee
“Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you’re going to do now and do it.” William Durant
“Though no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending.” Carl Bard
“You’re never a loser till you quit trying.” Anonymous
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” Thomas Edison
“Never give in. Never. Never. Never. Never.” Winston Churchill
“Look at a day when you are supremely satisfied at the end. It’s not a day when you lounge around doing nothing; it’s when you’ve had everything to do and you’ve done it.” Margaret Thatcher
“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is for you.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
“We cannot become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” Max DePree
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Mahatma Gandhi
“Learn something new every day under the sun. You will never get old if you do.” Lois Bey
“If we did all the things we were capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” Thomas Edison
How You Can Best Utilize These Exam Quotes
-Pick a few, write them out on post-it and stick them around your monitor
-Write down your favorite quote on the cover of your diary or notepad
-Print the list out and stick it on the wall
Last but not least… Best wishes for your Board exam !
Charlie Brown
Monday, January 10, 2011
The web of all webs !
New Post (104) : The web of all webs !
1. The tensile strength of spider silk is greater than the same weight of steel and has much greater elasticity.
***((( It’s microstructure is under investigation for potential applications in industry---including bullet-proof vests and artificial tendons. )))
-The main difference between “spider webs” and “cobwebs” is that spider webs are still in use, while cobwebs are webs that have been abandoned
-A web allows a spider to catch prey without having to expend energy by running it down. So it is an efficient method of gathering food.
2. Any coincidence that the [WWW] world wide web is called a –“WEB” ?
So what does that make us…Prey ?
Draw your own conclusions… whatever or however you conclude.. the web is here to stay
…same as spidey’s web ! As evidenced in nature.
We are all in it together. Preyed upon and yet enjoying it dearly !
One helluva web it is ! ! !
(as an) After thought :
-What I find re-assuring is that the web has ---no ONE master.
-The only TRULY democratic entity of our times is on---“AUTO-pilot”.
WOW !
Charlie Brown
1. The tensile strength of spider silk is greater than the same weight of steel and has much greater elasticity.
***((( It’s microstructure is under investigation for potential applications in industry---including bullet-proof vests and artificial tendons. )))
-The main difference between “spider webs” and “cobwebs” is that spider webs are still in use, while cobwebs are webs that have been abandoned
-A web allows a spider to catch prey without having to expend energy by running it down. So it is an efficient method of gathering food.
2. Any coincidence that the [WWW] world wide web is called a –“WEB” ?
So what does that make us…Prey ?
Draw your own conclusions… whatever or however you conclude.. the web is here to stay
…same as spidey’s web ! As evidenced in nature.
We are all in it together. Preyed upon and yet enjoying it dearly !
One helluva web it is ! ! !
(as an) After thought :
-What I find re-assuring is that the web has ---no ONE master.
-The only TRULY democratic entity of our times is on---“AUTO-pilot”.
WOW !
Charlie Brown
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Can creativity be learnt ?
New Post (103) : Can creativity be learnt ?
Look for these characteristics in your self and in people you are associated with:
1. Ability to see or sensitivity to problems
Can state difficulties or deficiencies in common products or in social institutions, make judgement that desired goals in a described situation have not been achieved.
2. Fluency of thinking
Able to think well and effortlessly
---Word fluency
Can easily state words containing a given letter or combination of letters
---Associational fluency
Can easily state synonyms for a given word
---Expressional fluency
Can easily write well-formed sentences with a specified content.
---Ideational fluency
Can easily produce ideas to fulfill certain requirements, for example to name objects that are hard, white and edible, or to write an appropriate title for a given story.
3. Flexibility of thinking
Can easily abandon old ways of thinking and adopt new ones.
---Spontaneous flexibility
Can produce a great variety of ideas. For example in suggesting uses for a brick, subject can jump among categories, from building material to weight to missile to source of red powder.
---Adaptive flexibility
Can generalize requirements of a problem to find a solution. For example, in a problem of forming squares using a minimum number of lines, can abandon the usual idea that all squares have to be the same size.
4. Originality
Comes up with ideas that are statistically unusual
---Remote associations
Forms associations between elements that are remote from each other in time, or remote from each other logically
---Responses are judged to be clever
5. Redefinition - gives up old interpretations of familiar objects and uses them in new ways
Which of the following objects could best be used to make a needle: pencil, radish, shoe, fish, carnation? (fish - use bone)
6. Elaboration - can fill in details given a general scheme
Given a general task, fill in the detailed steps. Given two simple lines, draw a more complex object/
7. Tolerance of ambiguity
Willingness to accept some uncertainty in conclusions, not using rigid categories
8a. Interest in convergent thinking
Thinking towards one right answer, as in solving a mathematical problem stated in a textbook
8b. Interest in divergent thinking
Open-ended thinking, where there is not a single right answer
These were found to be common properties of creative individuals.
I suggest you use this listing as a sort of ready reckoner. To pick out the creative sorts. Associate with them. It will provide the environment to fire up your own creativity.
I (do) believe (that) creativity can be "learnt".
Charlie Brown
Look for these characteristics in your self and in people you are associated with:
1. Ability to see or sensitivity to problems
Can state difficulties or deficiencies in common products or in social institutions, make judgement that desired goals in a described situation have not been achieved.
2. Fluency of thinking
Able to think well and effortlessly
---Word fluency
Can easily state words containing a given letter or combination of letters
---Associational fluency
Can easily state synonyms for a given word
---Expressional fluency
Can easily write well-formed sentences with a specified content.
---Ideational fluency
Can easily produce ideas to fulfill certain requirements, for example to name objects that are hard, white and edible, or to write an appropriate title for a given story.
3. Flexibility of thinking
Can easily abandon old ways of thinking and adopt new ones.
---Spontaneous flexibility
Can produce a great variety of ideas. For example in suggesting uses for a brick, subject can jump among categories, from building material to weight to missile to source of red powder.
---Adaptive flexibility
Can generalize requirements of a problem to find a solution. For example, in a problem of forming squares using a minimum number of lines, can abandon the usual idea that all squares have to be the same size.
4. Originality
Comes up with ideas that are statistically unusual
---Remote associations
Forms associations between elements that are remote from each other in time, or remote from each other logically
---Responses are judged to be clever
5. Redefinition - gives up old interpretations of familiar objects and uses them in new ways
Which of the following objects could best be used to make a needle: pencil, radish, shoe, fish, carnation? (fish - use bone)
6. Elaboration - can fill in details given a general scheme
Given a general task, fill in the detailed steps. Given two simple lines, draw a more complex object/
7. Tolerance of ambiguity
Willingness to accept some uncertainty in conclusions, not using rigid categories
8a. Interest in convergent thinking
Thinking towards one right answer, as in solving a mathematical problem stated in a textbook
8b. Interest in divergent thinking
Open-ended thinking, where there is not a single right answer
These were found to be common properties of creative individuals.
I suggest you use this listing as a sort of ready reckoner. To pick out the creative sorts. Associate with them. It will provide the environment to fire up your own creativity.
I (do) believe (that) creativity can be "learnt".
Charlie Brown
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