When I was a boy, I used to pretend to day dream, or to pretend to be deep in thought at school.
I remember I wanted the attention of a pretty girl who sat across from me, and that was my way of seducing her. I digress.
This habit of trying to think hard about something , to force a solution, to work hard at something – I thought this is what made a genius. Or what resulted in genius.
Now I understand that genius comes from not thinking at all. It is not your own, it comes from nowhere. It emerges into your conscious.
I just never would have believed: “try not thinking at all”. You have to develop a patience and be able to sit with yourself, which is certainly didn’t have then.
Everyone has had the experience of a shower thought, but a shower thought is low stakes. If you asked me how deep that inner voice could go, I would have underestimated it.
I still don’t know how far it goes, but I’m now sure it goes further than I would have guessed. When I say “further” I mean what is it capable of producing. We know random, partially creative shower thoughts are possible. But can it be used to guide one’s life? Inform one of what he/she might do? Inform one of his/her romantic partner?
I believe it’s all that we have. Otherwise it’s the mind that makes good sounding things up.