Say you have 2 rooms, Room A and Room B .

In Room A, you have 1,000 people and the two smartest individuals (based on job, test scores, etc) are chosen to be the problems solvers and inventors (designated by test scores).  The rest of the group watchs TV or even sleeps.

In Room B, you have 1,000 people , but all 1,000 to be potential problems solvers and inventors.  At specific time intervals (maybe ever Friday), all individuals are to write an idea proposal that will be presented to the group, and then will be voted on whether it should be considered for implementation.

Which Room do you suppose would be the most productive?  I believe that most (if not all) countries follow the Room B approach.

IMHO, the problem is that we aren’t really using our brainpower potential to its fullest.  I think if everybody started thinking of ideas instead of wasting so much time watching TV, many problems might be solved.

The reasons why most people are not in Room B are:

• The complexities of the legal system.  Nobody wants to think of great ideas only to have them stolen by other members that know how to create patents and can secure financing.
• We are not trained that way.  From childhood we are taught to be followers.
• Lack of desire to learn.  Just learning to learn doesn’t work for everybody.  But if students are shown how what they are learning works in real life or can be used to problem solve or invent things, perhaps kids would want to learn.
• Financing.  Creating prototypes cost money.
• Self Confidence.  This is really a combination of all the above mentioned bullet points.

I wonder what the world would be like if we all did try solve problems?

Look at Benjamin Franklin, he didn’t start inventing things until he was rich and retired at the age of 43.  Until that point, his primary goal was running his newspaper business and becoming wealthy.  Could you imagine what incredible inventions could be in existence if he started seriously inventing things starting in his 20s?

Can you imagine what a radically different world we would live in if we all did use our brainpower to problem solve and invent a few things?  Which room do you think you are  currently in as work, Room A or Room B?

MR