The Creativity Post: There’s an old brainteaser that muses the following: If you gathered an infinite number of monkeys together and gave each a typewriter, would they eventually produce the complete works of Shakespeare? Before answering that question, ponder this one: Why do we even ask such questions?
2 comments:
I have personally always disliked the infinite monkey theorem. I feel that it discredits the creativity and accomplishments of masters like Shakespeare. It is like when people go into a modern art gallery and complain, saying that a five year old could have painted a given piece. Just about anything in the world could be generated randomly if you spend enough time. Whether the output is supposed to be A Midsummer Night's Dream or the blueprints to the construction project for a new home being built down the street. This not only discredits existing creative works, but discourages further creativity. After all, if a bunch of monkeys can write Shakespeare, why should I try to generate something novel and interesting? I just really disagree with what the author writes when he claims that "Like many such posits, the typing monkeys one reflects larger themes and patterns – ones we’d be wise to stay tuned into when it comes to creativity and seeking to realize our fullest creative potential." I get where he's coming from as far as saying that investigating posits beyond a surface level can boost creativity, but the problem is that posits like the infinite monkey theory actually discourage creative activity!
I think the monkey theorem is particularly interesting because it is about purely accidental creation. But I think it’s hard to put any merit to the theorem, because it would mean that it is possible to create incredible art jus through accident. While I don’t quite understand the connection between the theorem and creativity, but the article does hold a lot of truth. In that often creating is an extremely messy process, which makes it difficult to streamline or recreate. I think that is what makes creating so interesting and fun is that there are no right answers but at the same time, that’s what I enjoy about it. But another idea that the article lands spot on is a feeling of never having enough time, which can be both a blessing and a curse. If you had infinite time to work on a project then at some point you would stagnate, but at the same time it often feels as though you don’t have enough to get the project just the way you want it.
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