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Chapter 23: What is Creativity?

  Chapter 23: What is Creativity?  •     Creativity is not just for artists and scientists. We need creativity to solve the countless problems we encounter in our workplace and in our daily life. Whether you are a student writing a term paper or a company CEO expanding your business, a creative mind brings better results. Psychologists also tell us that people are happier when they can exercise creativity in their work.  •     Where do new ideas come from?  The simple answer is that new ideas are just old ones combined in new ways. A mobile phone is an old landline phone without a  wire. A  smartphone is a mobile phone with powerful computer functions.  Beethoven's   Moonlight Sonata   is a creative masterpiece, but what makes it unique is the arrangement of the musical notes, not the individual notes that all composers know. Einstein had the creative insight to put together the famous equation  E = mc 2 ,  but the concepts of energy, mass and the speed of light were familiar to al

Chapter 22: MAKING RATIONAL DECISIONS

  Chapter 22: MAKING RATIONAL DECISIONS  •     Making rational decisions involves using a logical and systematic approach to evaluate options and choose the best course of action. •     Good decisions are crucial to a successful and fulfilling life. It is true that many decisions can be made quickly without much thought. But if we are not careful, hasty decisions about careers, relationships, or investments can ruin our life. •     Many people make decisions based on feelings. “ I knew I wanted to marry her the moment we met. ”  •     But sometimes our feelings are mixed and inconsistent and affected by biases and irrelevant factors. For important decisions, we need a better system. This is not to say we should ignore our emotions. It would be unwise (and sad) to marry someone without regard for feelings. But emotions and feelings should not be the only basis for making important decisions. •     So what makes a good decision?  Some people think a decision must have been well made if i