For a long while now I’ve noticed a very common recurring problem that seems to predominant as a frequent cause of both inhibited creativity and poor outcomes. Specifically, I am referring to the widespread tendency in many fields of study (but especially in computer programming and other technical fields) to focus so much on trying to ensure that every slightest fence-post issue is fully handled in all conceivable cases that it greatly impedes one’s creative and intellectual flow and in effect gives oneself tunnel vision. Such circumstances also often seem to tend to suck the fun out of projects and contribute to burn out as well.
I think this is actually also connected in some way to the moderately common prevalence of a certain kind of dismissiveness towards simple user interface problems that are easy to improve but nonetheless unfortunately neglected. All too often there will be some trivial aspect of how a piece of software (or other interface to something) works which if improved or corrected would yield a great improvement in value, and this could often actually clearly be done easily, but the developers or engineers responsible (or other members of the surrounding community) are dismissive of such things being problems at all.
Continue reading Too much fixation on fence-post issues inhibits creativity.