"Convergent thinking involves the pursuit of a pre-determined goal, usually in a linear progression and through a highly focused problem-solving technique," (Stewart, 2012, pg. 117).
"In divergent thinking, the means determines the end. The process is more open-ended; specific results are hard to predict." (Stewart, 2012, pg. 119).
I really don't want to go off on a tangent on this post, since this issue is one which I feel strongly about, so I will do my best to be short and concise. There is nothing inherently "right" or "wrong" about either of these forms of thinking, however, if we have too much of one or another it can lead to psychological and/or societal consequences. I believe the reason modern society is so intrigued with literature, art, and film which portrays divergent forms of thinking is likely due to the strong pressure in many facets of our social lives to exhibit ONLY convergent thinking. For instance, creativity is only encouraged so long as it falls neatly into socially acceptable forms (for example: in STEM disciplines, whereas creativity in artistic or social disciplines is mostly ignored, or at least not highly esteemed).
Art is a beautiful medium of expression because it forces us in many respects to think divergently, drawing on our own thoughts and ideas rather than someone else's.
I highly encourage anyone that hasn't, to watch this phenomenal Ted Talk by Ken Robinson, illustrating in more depth the complex issue I've mentioned briefly above.
http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity
No comments:
Post a Comment