ORIGINALS

LESSON 1: Originality and Its Benefits. 

A dictionary might tell us what originality is defined as. However, it will not tell us what ‘original’ is. Originality refers to someone who has a singular or unique quality. In today’s context, an original is a person who not only dreams of ideas to change society but someone who will also work hard to make their dream into a reality. The author uses intriguing studies and stories about business, politics, sports, and entertainment. Adam Grant explores how to acknowledge a good idea, speak up without any inhibitions, gather allies who share similar interests, and supervise fear and doubt that might linger in one’s mind. 

Avid thinkers and researchers, all emphasize the need to have an air of originality. An example of this can be seen in the observation made by Michael Housman. He observed a group of customer service employees. The employees who installed any browser other than the default internet explorer were more likely to keep their jobs for a longer time. It showed that they were willing to take the initiative to do something new and more likely to confront challenges. It was observed that they were more likely to look for solutions in situations that were tough to crack. The employees who used the pre-installed browsers were simply more conventional and easy-going. Their lack of creativity made them lose interest in their jobs and resulted in them quitting. 

Despite these intimidating examples, it is not hard to be ‘original’. We might not be able to drastically change the world. We might not be award-winning musicians or famous CEOs but, we all have unique and personal ideas that can improve our quality of work. Realizing our true potential can also improve our interpersonal relationships and communication skills. To become ‘original’, we must overcome our fears and gather the courage to bring about the necessary change. 

LESSON 2: Quality Over Quantity. 

One of the most important challenges with creativity is not the lack of new and innovative ideas, but picking the right ideas and getting motivated to make them a reality. This book covers numerous ideas and examples of how to think of ideas and refine them so that they become a reality. Great ideas do not just come to us on a silver platter, we need to work hard to think about them and develop them accordingly. 

There is always a debate between quality and quantity. These are two terms that we often come across in our daily lives. They are both equally important to us, especially because