In the early 1980s I was trundling along on a New York subway with a colleague when he suddenly said, “14, 18, 23, 28, 34. What is the next number in this series?”
For the next ten minutes I manfully tried to figure out the mathematical relationship among these numbers. Finally, as we stepped off the subway I admitted I was stumped. My colleague, with a devilish grin, merely pointed at 42 emblazoned on the wall of the subway station. We had just travelled from 14th to 42nd Street, and it had never occurred to me that the answer was a stop on the subway. I had been so locked into the assumption that numerical problems had mathematical solutions that I failed to notice the answer staring at me from the pillars of every station.
As any Zen Master worth his salt would gleefully point out, I had failed to pay attention. Intent on asking the wrong questions, I paid a stiff price in embarrassment and chagrin.
To read the full, original article click on this link: Can Creativity Be Taught? - August Turak - SERVICE AND SELFLESSNESS AT WORK - Forbes
Author: August Turak
