I recently read an incredible study that focused on divergent thinking as we progress through life. Divergent thinking is original and creative thinking. It’s thinking outside the box. The study found:
98 percent of children between the ages of three and five scored in the genius category for divergent thinking. Between the ages of two and ten, that number drops to 32 percent. By the time the kids become teenagers, it drops to 10 percent. And only 2 percent of those by the age of 25 scored in the genius category for divergent thinking.
WOW. Pretty interesting results. Gordon Mackenzie, in his book, Orbiting the Giant Hairball, talks about a situation he faced when speaking at schools. He would ask various age groups a question, “How many of you are artists?” In first grade, all of the kids would jump from their seats and wave their arms wildly with excitement. Every child was an artist. Second grade: half the kids would raise their hands, but would do so calmly. Third: only one third of them. And so on through the grades. By sixth grade, only one or two kids would raise their hands. Their eyes would glance side to side uneasily worried about being identified as a closet artist and what others would think.
What happened? Where did our creativity go? And further, why? When we were kids, the world was open and anything was possible. We all wanted to become astronauts, artists, superheroes and start businesses doing what we loved. Somewhere along the way, something changed. When did our great dreams change to sitting behind a desk in a cubicle doing work we hated, with people we hated, for people we hated?
What is happening here? What sinister forces are suppressing the creative genius inside each of us? Do you think that this might have something to do with why people don’t follow their dreams? I would love to know your thoughts on this! Please comment. I’ll be posting my thoughts in my next post!
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Recently, I had a conversation with a friend about how they believed that our world was corrupt by evil greedy business owners that take advantage of the little guy. They thought that it was time that the business owners “get what is coming to them,” that it was time they quit taking from those below them. 
