Why Most People Are Wrong Most Of The Time

Einstein taught at Oxford University in the UK during the early '40s. One day the great man set a physics exam for his students. Albert's colleague said to him afterwards, "Dr. Einstein, this exam you just set for the senior class of physics students, isn't that exactly the same exam you set to the same class this time last year?"

"Yes, it is" said AE, "it's exactly the same."

"But Dr. Einstein, how could you possibly do that?", his colleague asked incredulously.

"Well," said Einstein, "the questions are the same, but the answers have changed."

In other words, as our limited knowledge exponentially increases, so do the firmly held beliefs we desperately cling onto. Ultimately new discoveries and knowledge force us to change what we know. What was true in 1942 obviously wasn't, just 12 months later. Even less so now.

We now live in a world where questioning doesn't change much over time. The answers, however, are constantly changing.

One of the sayings Albert Einstein is possibly best known for is his definition of madness. It goes something like, 'madness is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results'.

Start doing things you've never done before and you will get results you've never had before, being the logical implication. If these results aren't exactly what you want, tweak the process until it delivers your expectations.

When it comes to achieving unique performance with astounding results, it is plain to see the majority never seem to achieve their goals.

Whenever individuals or organizations run out of ideas, they tend to do one of two things. They either drift by doing more of the same things, or they slowly shrink by doing less of the same things.

What is extremely rare, is individuals/organizations embracing change and doing something to jolt them into doing something different that might encourage growth and progress.

Looking at rough statistics, approximately only 3% of companies/individuals ever innovate by 'thinking outside the box'. Approximately 97% make up the rest of us who tend to stick to a familiar, comforting, more of the same, slow progression.

A good analogy to how this works is everybody's ability to relate to driving home from work, pulling into the driveway and realising you can't remember any of the details of your journey home. This is quite scary. Scientists call this myopia, or tunnel vision. Apparently 95% of the time most of us operate on autopilot. This of course keeps us continually moving around in small circles inside the box.

The boxes we inhabit keep us constrained by four walls of self-imposed boundaries. These four boundaries are made up of a physical framework, a legal framework, a technological framework, and a moral framework.

Industry standards or norms dictate that we operate strictly within these boundaries. Thus we become ensconced within the 97% as we attempt to make a decent living.

Stepping outside some or all of these boundaries have led to individuals/corporations moving from the 97% to the 3%.

There are many examples of traditional businesses who were high street brick and mortar household names who now only operate online.

A taxi cab company has used exclusivity to move its operation online, whereby top of the range vehicle will pick you up and take you to your destination quickly. All this achieved through your personal account. No money changes hands. No trying to flag a cab in the rain. No need to tip.

Instead of raiding the fridge, or getting a takeaway for your evening meal tonight why not try something different? Go and scrape a dead animal or two from the roadside. Garnish, season and grill some roadkill for change! This is the norm in many parts of the world.

If you want to move from the 97% to the 3%, think a little differently, do something you've never done before, think outside of the box. Change whatever the standard is. These times more than ever present massive opportunities.

Because of innovative thinking and actions, the method in the seeming madness of maverick operators almost always pays off. Will you dare to be different?