The Power of the Different

 This week's quote reads, "Better is not possible without different."

And I think there is a lot of truth in that. While it is possible to make progress by continuing on in the same old way, it is often the introduction of the new, the different, which causes a breakthrough, makes us see life from a new perspective.

Don't get me wrong: I'm not knocking patient perseverance. On the contrary, the old adage that "practice makes perfect" has a lot of truth in it. And if we don't persevere, we will get nowhere.

I think the point I am making is that it is only possible to get so far on our own. In order to make a leap in our progress / skill / understanding, I believe that we need input from others - something different, something new. Which enables us to see (whatever it is) in a new light.

So artists, innovators and scientists like Leonardo da Vinci, Steve Jobs, Edison, the Curies (to give some random examples) come up with a new and brilliant concept, after which others follow in their footsteps, adapting and improving. But the initial spark has to come from somewhere. We even talk of it as "the lightbulb moment" or "the Eureka moment" - that instant when a new idea enters our brain and suddenly, the path forward is clear. Yes, it's going to take a lot of work (which is where the patient perseverance comes in), but the spark of that initial idea can be fanned into a flame which will warm multitudes.

This openness to the new, the different, is the great strength of humankind. The other is our ability to communicate what we have learned with others, so that they may benefit.

Of course, sadly, not all innovations are used for good purposes. We seem as a species to be distressingly good at inventing things to destroy one another and our planet... and I'm not sure what the solution to that is, if one even exists. But I hope there are enough of us striving for a better world, to make a difference.