The Surprising Habits of Original Thinking—Adam Grant

In a world where we are delving deeper into the void of social media and technology, where our minds and eyes are fixated on the six-inch screens that dictate our thoughts and actions even without our knowledge, in a world where sitting idly and letting ourselves be with our thoughts is considered a waste of time and where procrastinators are looked down upon in society, this talk by Adam Grant is a real eye-opener, an eye-opener to the fact of how powerful original thinking is.

Adam Grant

He starts his talk by coining the term "Originals," which he uses to describe people who have new ideas and take action on them. They drive creativity and change in the world and are portrayed as people you want to bet on. So that makes us think, what is so special about these so-called originals? Originals, after surveys and experiments, were found to be people who procrastinated. But how so? People who actually did their tasks on time usually put it out of their minds once it's done. Still, it's always in their minds for the procrastinators, even though they keep pushing things aside, subconsciously, they work towards their solutions over time.

An example he mentioned was that of Martin Luther King Jr., who was still revising his "I Have a Dream" speech the night before he delivered it, a prime case of strategic delay leading to a masterpiece. Grant argues that originals feel the same fears and doubts as anyone else. The crucial difference is that they are more afraid of not trying than of trying and failing. They generate many ideas, understanding that most will be bad, because it's the only way to stumble upon a few brilliant ones. History stands to prove this; greats like Mozart and da Vinci had hundreds of failed and forgotten ideas, but that didn't stop them from creating masterpieces. A unique thinker is characterised by this small act of initiative: repeatedly trying despite failing.

Grant's discussion ends on a positive note: uniqueness is a collection of behaviors that can be learned rather than a fixed quality. We can all unleash our creative potential by accepting uncertainty, allowing our ideas to develop, and not being scared to come up with seemingly foolish ideas.

You call it procrastinating. I call it thinking— Aaron Sorkin

Credits

Ben Joe Kuriakose

2025-27