When One Thing Leads To Another

+++ title = “03” date = 2019 +++

One thing always leads to another. It’s what we teach children in 3rd grade with cause and effect. It’s what we teach adults through movies and TV.

It’s a concept relevant to all industries. A doctor cares about one thing leading to another, and so does the economist. A parent cares about one thing leading to another and so does the bus driver.

But…

The minute we stop thinking about one thing leading to another, the more creative we get. It doesn’t take away the law of cause and effect of course, but it can lead to new avenues for understanding and for creation.

I don’t think the Beatles thought about one thing leading to another when they made their albums. I think they chose to suppress their understanding of cause and effect to make something original.

Ironically, by ignoring the fact that they might change the world with their art, they ended up changing the world with their art.

Because when you think too deeply about consequences, it affects your choices. Sometimes that’s useful, like with breaking policies or the law. And other times, it’s limiting, like with sharing a piece of yourself through your art.

The trick is to know when to ignore the fact of cause and effect. One thing always leads to another, but sometimes it’s better to think of cause and effect as magic rather than science. A mystery rather than a framework.