Losing the keys or phone often is not just a distraction: according to a study, it can indicate a creative and oriented mind to divergent thought
Forget where the wallet has left or look for the phone for whole minutes may not be just a sign of distraction or disorganization. According to a study published on Journal of Creative Behaviorthis behavior could instead be a indication of a high creativity and a divergent thought developed.
Research has highlighted how those who tend to frequently lose objects of daily use often also manifest an intense mental activity linked to imagination, personal projects and the generation of original ideas. This phenomenon is not to be understood as simple carelessness, but as the consequence of a mind so involved in its internal processes that it neglects practical and immediate details.
Creative minds are often absorbed by ideas and visions: this is why they forget things
The connection between distraction and creativity is explained through the concept of selective attention: The human brain cannot focus on everything at the same time, and in some subjects the attention focuses on complex thoughts, abstract reflections or problems to be solved. This leads to a reduction in the Short -term spatial memory and the ability to maintain attention to routine actions.
Those who live immersed in a constant flow of ideas therefore tend to forget to put the keys in the usual pocket or leave the phone in unusual places. This inattention to external reality is actually the result of a highly active mind oriented towards creative explorationmore interested in connecting concepts than to remember small daily details.
Distraction, in these cases, is not a defect but a side effect of a brain that works innovatively.
Divergent thought: the key to creativity according to scientific studies
Divergent thought is one of the fundamental pillars of creativity. This is the ability to generate multiple solutions, alternatives or ideas starting from a single stimulus. Unlike convergent thought, which aims at a single correct answer, Divergent thought encourages mental flexibility and originality.
In the Journal of Creative Behaviornumerous articles focus on this cognitive mechanism. In particular, a 2017 publication signed by researchers Mumford and Mcintosh highlighted how The most creative people are those able to explore unconventional approaches to problemsdemonstrating open -mindedness, imagination and a vision outside the box.
The same characteristics that lead someone to forget everyday objects are therefore the same that favor the innovation, the discovery and the production of new ideas. That’s why Forget the keys can be a sign of a brilliant mind.
