Originals by Adam Grant!

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Dictionary defines “Originals” as the earliest form of something, from which copies may be made, or an eccentric or unusual person. We can understand Originals as the person who has characteristics of not – confirming to the crowd. Originals are the persons who think for themselves, and persist on achieving or accomplishing the thing that they have been thinking in ways that seems to be out of the box or not – trending. The most terrifying thing that we ever encounter in our lives is to stand aside from the crowd – to be alone from the crowd. We have a tendency to lean towards the groupthink while solving any problem in a group; however, we might have something radical or out of the norm solution which we vacillate to share with the group out of fear of being marginalized.

However simple and uncomplicated it might appear, being Originals is a tough job, and it requires integrity and a culture of constructive criticism. Organizations which foster and encourage originality have the tendency of welcoming critical thinking, and being open to wide ranges of ideas however radical they might seem. Being Original is not an hour’s job; it is a trait of the person, and such person lives his/her live being original. If we have to look at the example of few original people; our mind immediately goes towards widely successful people around the world. However, if we came to understand the characteristics of the Originals – we encounter them in our daily lives. Originals are the ones who think before running after the crowd, who rationalize the both sides of a coin before deciding something, and who are not afraid to standalone when the time is running against them.

Dr. Adam Grant has written Originals in such a depth and length that have the ability to sway our beliefs, values, and way of thinking. He has put real cases to support his ideas and claims, which makes the book even more interesting and realistic. Like the saying goes, “Rome isn’t built in a day”; no greater deeds can be accomplished in relatively shorter period of time. Average people do not have the ability to criticize an idea, only experts have that ability. Likewise, being Original for a day is not enough to realize the impact; we needs to invest significant amount of time in order to reap the rewards of being originals.

….once people pass an intermediate level in the need to achieve; there is evidence that they actually become less creative…..

………Edwin Land remarked, “No person could possibly be original in one area unless he were possessed of the emotional and social stability that comes from fixed attitudes in all areas other than the one in which he is being original.”………..

……having a sense of security in one realm gives us the freedom to be original in another……

……many people fail to achieve originality because they generate a few ideas and then obsess about refining them to perfection…..

….if we want to increase our odds of betting on the best original ideas, we have to generate our own ideas immediately before we screen others suggestions…..

…..“The way to come to power is not always to merely challenge the Establishment, but first make a place in it and then challenge and double-cross the Establishment” Francis Ford Coppola…..

…..people think an amateur can appreciate art, but it takes a professional to critique it…..

…….the evidence suggests that liking continues to increase as people are exposed to an idea between ten and twenty times, with additional exposure still useful for more complex ideas…….

……..disagreeable managers may have a bad user interface but a great operating system……

……you don’t have to be first to be an original, and the most successful originals don’t always arrive on schedule. They are fashionably late to the party……..

……..in 1927, Russian psychologist Bluma Zeigarnik demonstrated that people have a better memory for incomplete than complete tasks. Once a task is finished, we stop thinking about it. But when it is interrupted and left undone, it stays active in our minds……

….the more strongly you identify with an extreme group, the harder you seek to differentiate yourself from more moderate groups that threaten your values……

…..it’s hard to change other people’s ideals. It’s much easier to link our agendas to familiar values that people already hold…

….skills and stars are fleeting; commitment lasts……

……dissenting opinions are useful even when they’re wrong……

……..the secret to success is sincerity, the old saying goes: Once you can fake that, you’ve got it made….

……it’s easier to start a relationship with the door open than to pry open a door that’s already been slammed shut…..

…..“Shapers” are independent thinkers: curious, non-conforming, and rebellious….

…..the greatest shapers don’t stop at introducing originality into the world. They create cultures that unleash originality in others……

…….although many originals come across as beacons of conviction and confidence on the outside, their inner experiences are peppered with ambivalence and self doubt……

…..just flying solo with an opinion can make even a committed original fearful enough to conform to the majority…

I used to believe in staying positive or optimistic: however, this idea has been shattered by the author. He argued that we can’t fixate an attitude for all types of problems in our lives. Different problems need different types of attitude towards solving them; and he presented with validated data that being pessimistic or fearful or negative towards an idea might be helpful and promising as compared to being optimistic all the time.

It is not an ideal book to read if you’re looking for an all out self – help book which promises you the full moon only; however, if you’re looking for improving your practice of being original, then definitely there are no better books for it. Short and crisply written, loaded with facts and data, striking lines, and artistically arranged content makes this book one of the best of its kinds. It demands that we not only read and understand what is it to be original, but we practice originality in our daily lives as well. After all, if a dozen of student can topple the dictator by practicing originality – we can do great service to our society, and accomplish greater things in our lives.