How important is it to discover something through chance "serendipity" and not through effort?

Question

Thomas Faraday has said at least once that genius and invention are only possible through immense effort, however, is that an absurd sentence or do human beings largely work with incentives (that is just what aldous huxley and oscar wilde argue in their books and their poetry, it's also what henry ford and adolf hitler strongly voice, although on bizarre grounds).

Answer 1

That flash of insight comes out of the blue, it is nearly always unbidden and unexpected. In our creative work accidents and mistakes are the part played by the angels, by the subconscious, by God, or by the fairies. It is nearly as if our efforts stand between us and revelation, as if wanting makes having impossible.

The artist learns to stand aside while working, and to welcome accidents and mistakes. There are no "lucky accidents" in art, all accidents are a blessing, because they are that part of our work that escape our control. What the good artist does is to accept them with delight and gratitude. But accidents and mistakes will only come to us when we work to the very limit.

Answer 2

You seem to misunderstand BOTH the term 'serendipity' AND the term 'incentive'.

Serendipity doesn't mean 'avoiding looking but finding something anyway'. It is the discovery of something you weren't looking for; the word derives from the name of an island (Serendip). It is not possible to reach any island without the effort of sailing, and a previously undiscovered island implies EXTRA effort.

(Columbus was sailing to China; the 'West Indies' and 'Red Indians' are so called because he thought he had landed in the 'Indian Isles' or Indies.)

Effort towards discovery increases the chance that you will find something; either the thing that you were looking for, or something else (like Serendip). But because you start out WITHOUT the information you will gain along the way, you have no way of knowing whether your outcome will be intended or serendipitous.

Incentive does not refer to a known, described and officially rationed reward (such as commission or acclaim).

The 'incentive' for any striving can be abstract and uncertain (like glory or posterity), and the striver may be totally unaware, unclear, or even wrong about their own motivation.

Edison said something relevant, usually quoted as : "Invention is 1% inspiration, and 99% perspiration.". His working methods clearly demonstrate his belief that the perspiration CAUSES the inspiration. So you could argue that his 'genius' was its own incentive.

Answer 3

Happy chance brought many discoveries but the people who made those discoveries were all hard at work on something else.

Answer 4

First tell us how to measure importance.

Your question is not answerable until you provide some means of measuring comparative importance.

Answer 5

God isn't any respecter of persons and so if by potential of "interested in variations of opinion" you propose the persons or Peoples espousing the opinion, the respond isn't any, God isn't interested in variations of opinion. regardless of the undeniable fact that, if what you propose is one among those existence being recommended, the respond if a different specific! God is definitely involved interior the conserving of a particular way of existence and so variations of opinion, by potential of the cultures, do remember. as we talk what's stated as "Christian" is the genuine "Jew" (be conscious i did no longer say Judaism for that may no longer one among those existence God is merchandising). God's paintings is calling for to exalt the "Jew" -- people who worship Him in spirit and in certainty. For He reported, interior the manifesed style of Jesus Christ, "Salvation is of the Jews", yet Judaism as all of us be attentive to it as we talk does no longer renowned Christ through fact the Messiah and /or God interior the flesh. 'How will we are saying one culturally inspired interpretation of religion is extra appropriate to a distinctive?' we are able to declare it through fact no longer basically does the single genuine and residing God sell it in His observe, yet in addition the author of the universe would be a fool to exalt one that faithfully operates in a Godless faith or a faith of many distinctive gods. To do such would have adequate money the author certainly NO glory. it is like plagiarism or psychological sources violation: yet another gets the credit for the author's paintings would you create the Grand Canyon or a astounding break of day and characteristic your desirable creations exalt yet another as their author? you are able to say specific, yet God does no longer. it is through fact His introduction is "dulled" whilst it operates "falsely" or whilst it "misses the mark". The introduction SHINES whilst it somewhat is "genuine" or whilst it hits the "bullseye". At such circumstances, God, the author is glorified. His basically purpose is that His introduction SHINES for whilst it does, He does. basically it is user-friendly to be genuine. he's the way, the certainty and the existence.

Answer 6

How you discover something is unimportant, all that matters is that you do discover it and do something with it.

I believe geniuses are born, not made.

Answer 7

Both.