Unmasking Our Hidden Bias Against Creativity

Photo by Google DeepMind

A peculiar phenomenon lurks beneath the surface in the bustling hallways of large companies, the sterile laboratories of cutting-edge research facilities, and the vibrant classrooms of prestigious universities. It's a paradox so pervasive yet so subtle that it often goes unnoticed, silently shaping the fate of ideas that could change the world.

Welcome to the world of our hidden bias against creativity, where innovation is hailed as the holy grail of progress, yet creative ideas are often met with scepticism, resistance, and sometimes outright rejection.

Creativity. The buzzword lights up boardroom presentations, ignites passionate TED Talks, builds highly effective marketing campaigns, and graces the covers of bestselling business books. We worship at the altar of innovation, convinced that the next big idea will revolutionise industries, solve global crises, and propel humanity into a brighter future. It's the force that drives scientific breakthroughs, inspires artistic masterpieces, and fuels societal progress.

Why shouldn't we? After all, creativity is the secret sauce that turned a garage startup into Apple, a college dorm project into Facebook, and a simple online bookstore into the e-commerce giant Amazon. 

In India, whether it's revolutionising e-commerce with Flipkart, transforming digital payments with Paytm, or bringing light to rural homes through innovative solar programmes, creativity has shown its power not just to build successful businesses but to fundamentally improve people's lives.

In the education sector, Pratham's creative approach to "Teaching at the Right Level" has revolutionised learning outcomes for millions of underprivileged children, proving that innovative teaching methods can bridge educational gaps more effectively than traditional approaches.

The ingenuity behind the Jaipur Foot, a low-cost prosthetic, has restored mobility and dignity to countless individuals across the developing world, showcasing how frugal innovation can have a global impact.

In sanitation, the creative campaign "No Toilet, No Bride" in Haryana used social pressure innovatively to increase toilet coverage, showing how creative messaging can drive social change.

These examples, spanning from bustling city streets to remote villages, underscore a universal truth: creativity is the catalyst that turns audacious ideas into world-changing realities, touching lives in big and small ways.

The Uncomfortable Truth

Picture this: You're in a meeting, and someone pitches an idea so radical, so out-of-the-box, that it makes your head spin. It's brilliant, innovative, and could revolutionise your industry. But instead of excitement, you feel a knot in your stomach. Your first instinct? To find reasons why it won't work.

If this scenario sounds familiar, you're not alone. Researchers have uncovered a startling truth: while we claim to adore creativity, we often have an implicit bias against it. It's like that friend who swears they love adventure but always bails when it's time to try even the new exotic restaurant in town.

This bias isn't just a quirk of corporate culture. It's deeply ingrained in our psyche, manifesting in educational institutions, scientific communities, and even everyday decision-making. Teachers who preach the importance of creative thinking often favour students who colour within the lines. Peer reviewers in scientific journals are more likely to reject groundbreaking studies that challenge established paradigms.

The Culprit: Uncertainty

So, what's behind this Jekyll and Hyde relationship with creativity? The answer lies in a single word: uncertainty.

Creative ideas are, by definition, novel. They're uncharted territory, a deviation from the familiar path. And let's face it: humans are creatures of habit. We like our routines, our predictable outcomes, and our safe bets. Creativity? Well, it's the wild card that throws a wrench in our well-oiled machine of certainty.

Think about it. When faced with a truly innovative idea, our brains go into overdrive:

- Will it actually work?

- What if it fails spectacularly?

- How will it affect our current systems?

- What unknown risks are we not seeing?

This mental gymnastics triggers our brain's fear centre, associating creative ideas with adverse outcomes. In one fascinating study, researchers found that when people were uncertain, they were more likely to associate creativity with words like "vomit" and "poison" rather than favourable terms. Indeed, a PR nightmare for innovation!

The Creativity Catch-22

Here, things get interesting (and a bit frustrating). The conditions that spark creative thinking-  uncertainty, challenges, and the need for change- make us more likely to reject creative ideas.

It's a classic catch-22. We need creativity most when facing uncertain times or complex problems. But it's precisely during these moments that our brains are wired to seek safety in the familiar, shunning the novel solutions we so desperately need.

This explains why companies often talk big about innovation but default to safe, incremental changes when push comes to shove. It's why educational reforms often repackage old ideas instead of embracing transformative approaches. And it's why, despite our best intentions, we often find ourselves stuck in the same old personal and professional patterns.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska

Breaking the Bias: A Roadmap to Embracing Creativity

Now, before you throw your hands up in despair and resign yourself to a life of mediocrity, take heart. Recognising this bias is the first step towards overcoming it. Here's a roadmap to help you (and your organisation) truly embrace creativity:

A. Embrace the Uncomfortable: Instead of running from uncertainty, learn to dance with it. Make "productive discomfort" your new mantra. When you feel that knot in your stomach responding to a new idea, recognise it as a sign that you might be onto something big.

B. Diversify Your Thinking Portfolio: Just as you would only put some of your money in one stock, don't invest all your mental energy in one way of thinking. Expose yourself to diverse perspectives, industries, and cultures. The most groundbreaking ideas often come from unexpected connections.

C. Create Safe Spaces for Wild Ideas: Promote environments where people feel safe to share their craziest ideas without fear of ridicule. Google's famous "20% time" policy, which gave employees dedicated time to work on pet projects, led to innovations like Gmail and Google News.

D. Reframe Failure: Instead of seeing failure as a dead end, view it as a detour on the road to success. Celebrate "noble failures"-  ambitious attempts that didn't pan out but provided valuable lessons.

E. Train Your Tolerance: Like building muscle, you can increase your tolerance for uncertainty. Start by intentionally seeking new experiences and ideas that challenge your comfort zone.

F. Implement Idea Quarantine: When evaluating new ideas, institute a "no-rejection" period where all criticisms must be put on hold. This allows creative concepts to develop without being prematurely shot down.

G. Reward the Process, Not Just the Outcome: Recognise and reward creative thinking and risk-taking, not just successful outcomes. This encourages a culture where innovation can truly flourish.

The Creative Revolution Starts with one person. You.

As we stand on the brink of unprecedented challenges, from climate change to artificial intelligence, our ability to embrace truly creative solutions has never been more critical. The future belongs not to those who can merely come up with innovative ideas but to those who can recognise and nurture them, especially when they make us uncomfortable.