Ht Conceptual Blockbusting A GUIDE TO BETTER IDEAS Third Edition James 1. Adams PERSEUS BOOKS Cambridge, MassachusettsAso by James 1. Adame: The Care and Feeding of Ideas: A Guide 0 Encouraging Creativity Library of Congres Cataloging in-Publicaion Data ‘Adams, James Concept ockboing Treo nde 1, Problem solving. 2. Creativ hiking 3. Concepts 1 THe BRMLAGE 1586 1534 5.28722 ISBN 6201-10149-1 ISBN 02015508655 (pbk) Copyright © 1974, 1976, 1979, 1986 by James L. Adams All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduceé, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, elecronic, ‘mechanical, phococopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior writen permission of the publisher. Printed in the United Seates of America. Many of the designations used by manufacturers and sellers to distinguish theie products are claimed as trademarks. Where thete designations appear in the book and the author is aware of a trademark claim, the designations have been printed with inital capital lewers—for example, Dictaphone. “This book was published originally a pare of THE PORTABLE STANFORD, a book series publhed by the Stanford Alumni Assocation, Stanbord, Calor Perseus Books is a member of the Perseus Books Group 1920 21020100 Find us on the World Wide Web at |ttp://wwwperseusbooks.com Perseus Books ate available at special discounts for bulk purchases in the US. by corporations, institutions, and other organizations. For more infor- ‘mation, please contact the Special Markets Department at HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53ed Street, New York, NY 10022, or call 212-207-7528. CONTENTS: ILLUSTRATIONS AND QUOTATIONS PREFACE CHAPTER ONE * Introduction ‘CHAPTER TWO + erceptual Blocks carrer THREE + Emotional Blocks ‘CHAPTER FOUR + Cultural and Enviconmental Blocks ‘cuapreR F1ve + Intellectual and Expressive Blocks ‘chapreR six + Akernate Thinking Languages ‘CHAPTER SEVEN + All Kinds of Blockbusters ‘CHAPTER EIGHT + Groups and Organizations READER'S GUIDE B 39 33 mu 83 103 131 153, 162CHAPTER THREE EMOTIONAL BLOCKS Tris cnarren wits nein with a game—a game that requires a group of people, the larger the bette, so try it at a party. It was, I th vented by Bob McKim and is called “Barnyard.” Exercise: Divide your group and assign them to be various animals as follows: If their last names begin with: they are: AE sheep FK pigs LR cows SZ turkeys Now tell each person to find a partner (preferably someone he does not know too well) and to look this partner in the eye. ‘You will then count to three at which time everyone is to make the sound of his animal s loudly as he possibly can. See how loud a barnyard you can build. ‘The participants in this game willbe able to experience a common emotional block to conceptuslization—namely, that of feeling like an ass. Ifyou did nor play the game and want to experience the feeling, merely stand alone on any busy corner (or wherever you are right now) and loudly make the sound of one of the animals.