Creative thinkers lead the way in nearly every field because they are willing to take intellectual risks, according to Kanar and Hopper. Risk-taking involves a leap of faith and even a willingness to fail. The creative thinker has an insatiable hunger for knowledge and understanding, and "does not take no for an answer," (Kanar and Hopper 51). However, creativity alone is insufficient for developing the type of mind that excels in fields like science and technology. Critical thinking is also crucial, because it provides the toolbox for analysis, learning, and intelligent comprehension. Ideally, analysis and invention combine in the dynamic individual.
According to Bloom's Taxonomy, there are six levels of learning including knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. These six levels of learning suggest that there are multiple approaches to solving a problem. A creative thinker knows that if one angle of thinking is not yielding results, that another might. Excelling in any area of science or business requires the ability to think on all six levels of learning. Continually asking questions, and reframing issues are what get people noticed at work and get investors to have faith in them.
A creative thinker leads the way in science because they have the ability to imagine beyond what they already know. Creativity is an "attitude," or a mind set according to Harris. The creative person does not take anything at face value, instead challenging the world and the mind to come up with new ideas, new processes, and new solutions. Creativity is not necessarily a flash of insight, notes Harris. Rather, creativity is a process of continually inventing and re-inventing. This is why creative people have the potential to excel in fields like science and technology. The business of technology requires a continual reinvestment in new product development. A company will only be financially successful if they can creatively anticipate consumer demands, and invent new products according to vision and imagination. According to Bloom's taxonomy, the creative person will be armed with the knowledge of market research and the raw materials with which the company usually works. Comprehending the goals of the organization, the creative person then applies their knowledge and awareness to the development of new products. Using critical thinking, the creative person also eliminates ideas that would be too costly or untimely. Finally, the creative thinker is honest and open-minded. If something is not working, the creative person does not give up. Instead, the creative person starts over with a new idea.
The creative thinker uses both inductive and deductive reasoning. Using deductive reasoning, the creative person observes a phenomenon and comes up with various explanations or hypotheses. The person then uses critical thinking to analyze the situation and come up with possible solutions. Using inductive reasoning, the creative thinker seeks broad explanations or develops new paradigms. The creative thinker has the potential to alter the way people think. The most powerful minds of science are those who use both creative and critical thinking. They come up with grand concepts that have specific applications in daily life. From Einstein to Freud, creative thinkers develop revolutionary strategies of solving problems.
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