Someone described the essence of wisdom as being aware of
what everybody else is doing…and doing the opposite. Hmm, I wish I’d done that
when everybody was buying stocks…
It’s true that the breakthroughs in any field tend to come
from contrarians, not from people doing more of the same. Yet most of us come
under pressure—not least from ourselves—to go along with the majority. “Nobody
else is doing this” feels like a reason not to do it, rather than what it
is—the best reason to do it.
In fiction, it’s zombies and vampires at the moment. Good
reasons to flee!
In non-fiction, it’s about how to make do with less. I’m not
suggesting you write about how to have a larger carbon footprint or splash money
around, but if I were trying to come up with a self-help angle I’d be looking
at thriving rather than just surviving.
In marketing, everybody is scrambling to Twitter their way
to riches. Might be a good reason to take a closer look at the old-fashioned
print media.
What are the people in your field doing? What’s the
opposite? Might there be a way you can capitalize on the opposite?
(for tips on how to be more creative and productive, sign up for my free monthly Brainstorm e-bulletin. Just send an email request now to [email protected])