Create Epic Breakthroughs By Blasting Away Your Biases & Assumptions with Dr. Beau Lotto

In this episode we discuss the surprising science of creativity. We begin with a fascinating look into how your brain create reality around you and assigns meaning to things that often have no meaning at all, then we examine the unlikely relationship between doubt, ambiguity, and creativity. We ask how you can chip away at your assumptions so that you can open spaces of possibility to be more creative, we explore the foundations of asking truly good questions, and examine the way that doubt can be a powerful force for unleashing creative insights and more with our guest Dr. Beau Lotto. 

Dr. Beau Lotto is neuroscientist, author, and the founder of the Lab of Misfits. His studies in the science of human perception have led him to work in several fields including education, the arts, business, and more. Beau has given multiple TED talks, has spoken to companies such as Google, and his work has been featured on the BBC, PBS, Natural Geographic, Big Think, and much more!Do we see reality as it really is? Do we see the world as it really is?We have no direct access to the world except through our senses Raw data from the senses is all the information the brain gets Data by itself is pointless - any piece of data could mean literally anythingYou can conflate so many different things from your senses The brain relies on history - on context - to interpret all the information it collects - the history of your life, your culture, your evolution, your family, and much moreYour brain has effectively encoded biases and assumptions that filter and shape your perception of reality We didn’t evolve to see the world accurately, we evolved to see it usefully - evolution didn’t optimize for accuracy, it evolved for utility Because of this conclusion we can constantly update and adapt our perceptionsYour brain does not create meaning by passively receiving content - it makes meaning by physically engaging with the world We think of creativity as putting two things that are far apart together - of a eureka moment or moment of insight - for YOU these ideas are far apart - the creative person is making the next logical step of assumption Creative people are making small steps to the next most likely possible. The key to creativity is to CHANGE what’s possible and change your perceptions and assumptions of what’s possibleNothing interesting begins with knowing - it begins with not knowing, it begins with doubt, it begins with a questionThe need for closure, the need for certainty is so strong that we constantly need closure Awe and wonder are also key skills to embracing uncertainty. When you experience awe and wonder you feel connected to the world, you feel curiousFind out what you care about, have the desire to shift/move/change, and ask the right question - then engage other peopleHow do we celebrate doubt? How do we chip away at our assumptions so that we can open spaces of possibility to be more creative?A KEY to asking good questions is to Doubt what you assume to be true alreadyHomework: Take ownership of your own biases and assumptions. Engage in a person you care about with a question of your assumptions next time you have a conflictHomework: Go from A to “Not-A” - Let go of reflexive meanings. Take a cold shower and feel the cold water, don’t attach the significant of uncomfortableness - just feel the coldness as neutral.Homework: Change the meaning of what’s happened in the past (which will change your assumptions and perceptions). The brain is a time machine - we can never change what happened, but we can change the MEANING of what happened. You can change history of your past meanings. That’s what therapy does. 

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