"The world in general disapproves of creativity, and to be creative in public is particularly bad. Even to speculate in public is rather worrisome."- Isaac Asimov
Insight: The mindset of fear prevents us from being creative.
Isaac Asimov
- American professor of biochemistry, science and science-fiction writer.
- Lived 1920 - 1992
- Author of over 500 books including the "Foundation" series.
Book Notes
Insight: Children are often taught to put things into one of two buckets: good, or bad (right or wrong). This simplification helps us to make sense of the world as children, but we often fail to outgrow this theory as adults. We left thinking that, as Asimov describes, "everything that isn’t perfectly and completely right is totally and equally wrong."
Insight: Asimov observed that the most exciting phrase in science is not "Eureka!", but "That's funny..."
Insight: Asimov described that great discoveries often begin not with "Eureka!", but with "That's funny..."
Insight: New discoveries challenge existing beliefs, but when core beliefs are challenged we tend to shut down rather than open up.
Insight: Isaac Asimov developed the "Three Laws of Robotics": (1) A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm; (2) A robot must obey the orders given it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law; (3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection doesn’t conflict with the First or Second Laws.
Insight: Many of Asimov's stories demonstrate how the laws can lead to problematic contradictions in unexpected situations.
Asimov on our response to contests
"All things being equal, you root for your own sex, your own culture, your own locality... and what you want to prove is that you are better than the other person. Whomever you root for represents you; and when he [or she] wins, you win."- Isaac Asimov
Insight: With sports games and contests, we view ourselves as part of the teams we support, and view the actions of the individuals in the teams as representing us.
"Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived."- Isaac Asimov
"If I were not an atheist, I would believe in a God who would choose to save people on the basis of the totality of their lives and not the pattern of their words. I think he would prefer an honest and righteous atheist to a TV preacher whose every word is God, God, God, and whose every deed is foul, foul, foul."- Isaac Asimov
"The closer to the truth, the better the lie, and the truth itself, when it can be used, is the best lie."- Isaac Asimov
Insight: Isaac Asimov wrote over four hundred books by writing nonstop from 6am to noon every day for 40 years.
Principle: Show up.
"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not 'Eureka! (I found it!) but 'That's funny...'"- Isaac Asimov
Insight: The image in the mind that many people have of an atom - an electron or two flying around a nucleus like planets around a sun - was created in 1904 by Japanese physicist Hantaro Nagaoka. The image is not accurate of reality, but durable. Asimov noted that despite being wrong it inspired generations of science fictions writers to create worlds within worlds.
Key Insights & Principles
Creativity
- The fear mindset prevents us from being creative - we especially worry about putting our work into the public eye.
- Isaac Asimov wrote over 500 books by writing consistently from 6am to noon every day for over 40 years.
- Show up.
Knowledge
- Things are not always one, or the other.
- New discoveries challenge existing beliefs.
- When core beliefs are challenged by learning new things, we often shut off rather than open up.
- Curiosity and asking questions is important in learning.