How Do People Get New Ideas? (1959 essay, first published by MIT Technology Review, 2014)

Their wordsMaking the cross-connection requires a certain daring. It must, for any cross-connection that does not require daring is performed at once by many and develops not as a “new idea,” but as a mere “corollary of an old idea.”

Their wordsIt is only afterward that a new idea seems reasonable. To begin with, it usually seems unreasonable.

Their wordsConsequently, the person who is most likely to get new ideas is a person of good background in the field of interest and one who is unconventional in his habits. (To be a crackpot is not, however, enough in itself.)

Their wordsMy feeling is that as far as creativity is concerned, isolation is required.

Their wordsIt seems to me then that the purpose of cerebration sessions is not to think up new ideas but to educate the participants in facts and fact-combinations, in theories and vagrant thoughts.

Their wordsIt seems necessary to me, then, that all people at a session be willing to sound foolish and listen to others sound foolish.

Their wordsThe optimum number of the group would probably not be very high. I should guess that no more than five would be wanted.

Their wordsProbably more inhibiting than anything else is a feeling of responsibility. The great ideas of the ages have come from people who weren’t paid to have great ideas, but were paid to be teachers or patent clerks or petty officials, or were not paid at all.