Discovery Quote by Marshall McLuhan
“When two seemingly disparate elements are imaginatively poised put in apposition in new and unique ways, startling discoveries often result.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Understanding Media by Marshall McLuhan, 1964
Combining unrelated concepts creatively can spark innovative breakthroughs.
In simple terms: Mixing ideas leads to new discoveries.
Key Takeaway
Explore unexpected connections for innovation.
Themes
creativity
innovation
interdisciplinary
Mood
inspired
curious
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- product design
- artistic creation
- scientific research
- problem solving
Key Concepts
conceptual blending
cognitive flexibility
Questions to Reflect On
- What unlikely pairings could you experiment with?
- How do you test the value of a new combination?
A Different Perspective
Not all juxtapositions yield useful results.
![“That has been another interesting discovery: that basically a city [Lagos] could recover from a really deep, deep, deep pit.” quote by Rem Koolhaas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/61e/rem-koolhaas-5371_cities_that-has-been-another-interesting-discov_15915.jpg)
![“[W]e must learn to accommodate ourselves to the discovery that some of those cunningly-fashioned instruments called human souls have only a very limited range of music, and will not vibrate in the least under a touch that fills others with tremulous rapture or quivering agony.” quote by George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/9be/george-eliot-84_agony_w-e-must-learn-to-accommodate-ourselves_12409.jpg)
![“Next came the Patent laws. These began in England in 1624; and, in this country, with the adoption of our constitution. Before then [these?], any man might instantly use what another had invented; so that the inventor had no special advantage from his own invention. The patent system changed this…” quote by Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/449/abraham-lincoln-88_adoption_next-came-the-patent-laws-these-began-in_1828.jpg)
