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If you were asked to think of something you never thought of before, what would be the most reliable way to do it? (lemm.ee)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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When I read about how most of our thoughts are repetitive, I wondered if it would be possible for us to have a thought that is completely new or original by will. Is there some way we can have unique thoughts whenever we wish to?

Please note that this question does not focus on our brain's mental capacity or free will to be able to think of something original. You could think of it something like asking you to paint something original; I am not asking if you are even able to paint in the first place, but instead how you would paint it if you could.

Also you should ideally be able to think of something new completely by your own in your consciously aware and normal self, without relying on external factors like taking inspiration from your surroundings or words from a recent/ongoing conversations, looking at the content open in your device, using any drugs or consumables, being affected by strong emotions etc.

Edit: Elaboration in last paragraph

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[–] [email protected] 10 points 1 year ago (5 children)

I think the best way to think of something new (to you, something new to all of humanity is harder of course) would be to pick some aspect of society, your daily life, a technology or social norm you are familiar with,... and analyse which underlying assumptions make it the way it is and then just figure out what would happen if that assumption didn't hold. That is basically what a lot of classic science fiction writers (among others) did. Take e.g. Asimov's Nightfall, a story about a world with (IIRC) 6 suns where it is only night once every 2000 years so people are not accustomed to darkness at all. Or Terry Bisson's They're Made Out of Meat where he questions our implicit assumption that aliens would be meat creatures like us.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Interesting answer. I admit I often imagine sci-fi scenarios myself without realizing how I am forming original thoughts.

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