I have never played Wordle or “Words with Friends.” I have rarely done crosswords and have given up on lots and lots of Suduko games. I don’t like them 99% of the time. They’re too freakin hard.
But, as you know, that’s an intellectual cop-out.
Difficulty is relative. They’re supposed to be difficult. That’s what makes them interesting to so many people. But not to me. I’d like to say that the reason I don’t like them is they are simply too difficult for me. Well, duh. Of course, they are, because I never play them. There is a long learning curve. BTW, a steep learning curve means someone learns something new quickly if the X axis is time and the Y axis is skill. Notice what I did there. I tried to distract from the real reason.
The real reason is fear. For better or worse, part of my self-concept is that I think I am a smart person. Well, at least others say that they think I am smart and I like that they say that. I firmly believe I am near average intelligence. I hope that doesn’t turn you off and make you stop reading or listening. I mean if you are following a podcast/blog, you would think the source should be smart. Of course smart is an amorphous concept that defies definition. Well, I might not play lots of puzzle games and I am certainly not very good at them, but I can say that I know quite a bit about creativity. We’re usually good at what we do. If we’re not, it might be because we haven’t done it enough.
Intelligence is not just complicated, I suggest it is more than complicated or even more than extremely complicated. It is quantum. Side note, from the little I know, quantum physics, entanglements, and quantum theory are concepts that are difficult for many people not just me. Maybe the reason is that most of us have only known and used linear logic.
Notice again, that I proved the first point. We’re usually good at what we do. Because I have not studied quantum mechanics, I can’t explain it well – kind of like playing word games.
Back to the idea of complicated intelligence before I finally get to the real reason I don’t like word games. Four paragraphs in and I still haven’t explained why I don’t like word puzzles. JP Guilford, a psychologist who is known for many things in addition to his theories on intelligence created a three-dimensional cube model. Think of his model as a Rubik’s cube. Each side was assigned a certain aspect of intelligence so that each smaller square within the larger side represented an intersection of those aspects. Sounds complicated, just like the concept of intelligence or quantum entanglements.
But…I say that model is not complicated enough. This next part might sound smart and might even make you think, but I don’t really have a mental model of it even as I’m typing it. I think there should be a four-dimensional model, or maybe even a five-dimensional model. I have difficulty imagining it. Maybe it is because, like Wordle, I haven’t practiced it. I bet you can see what’s coming. I think that is a good sophism for you and I. Imagining a 4-dimensional model of intelligence. Of course, creativity would be a part of it, but how?
That is a really, really lofty sophism. At least for me anyway. This brings me back to why I chose to write about Wordle and other such games. But first, let me own up to why I don’t like them. I feel dumb. They don’t come easy to me. Like I said, people think I’m smart, and I like that. Not being good at something that most people consider intellectual, is a threat. A threat to my self-concept. If people see through the illusion of my supposed intelligence, then what will they think of me?
A bit dramatic? Maybe. But that brings us to sophism number two. What is difficult for you to think about? Too many people, especially kids don’t like math. Many people say they don’t “get” poetry. Of course, like me and Wordle, people stay away from what they are not good at.
This post/episode is not a rah-rah, you-can-do it attempt to get you to push yourself to do what is tough. Although, as we know, discomfort is usually necessary for growth.
I do definitely suggest that we should engage in Wordle, Sudoko, Math problems, poetry, and other cognitive tasks. Here’s why, I think it is a relatively easy way to feel the joy of an “aha moment.” Why else do you think people do them? By challenging themselves just enough to feel that tiny mist of dopamine whenever they “get” the answer, they are making it easier for subsequent answers to arrive. In a reciprocal of the “people stay away from what they are not good at,” people do puzzles because they are good enough to frequently get the reward that comes with seeing the right answer. (Irvine, 2015)
It is that fraction of a second before the solution to the puzzle makes itself known that The Creativity Algorithm is interested in. That minuscule moment where the unconscious hands the solution to the conscious is like a joyous baton hand-off in a mental relay. I think we should practice that. Not because we want to become good at those games, but because it is a low-stakes, low-stress way of observing, participating in, and practicing that precognitive moment that many people know as the aha moment. And we know that happens when we are in an alpha state.
What in the world does this have to do with a sales manager helping her people have good ideas more often? Well, and I might regret this later, what if we could do away with consultants? As far as I understand it business consultants (of which I am one) are brought in to help solve problems. What if the people who hired them could come up with the solutions themselves? Maybe the only reason they are not coming up with solutions themselves is because they ar out of practice.
So here is a physical fitness analogy. Let’s say a person practices an exercise called calf raises. Imagine standing on a step with only the balls of your feet on the step and your heels hanging in the middle of the air. Then, stand on your toes so you raise up, the balls of your feet are still on the step and your calf muscles have flexed. Let’s say you do that exercise 20 times. Then you do two more sets of 20. Let’s then say that you repeat it every day and you become really, really good at calf raises. Well, that is similar to doing crossword puzzles. There isn’t necessarily a competition, fame, and fortune that rewards great puzzlers or great calf-raisers.
But having calves that are trained to flex quickly and powerfully can help an athlete, dancer, and everyone else. Having a brain that is trained to routinely find the sweet spot of the aha moment can help us all have those moments more often.
Could I become good at Wordle? Yes. Should I? Should you? Of course, like any good psychologist, I am going to answer with, it depends. What is your goal? If you are reading or listening to this, it is presumed your goal is to have good ideas more often. Just like, if you are doing calf exercises, it is presumed that you want to improve in your sport or art, not just because you like to flex your calves.
How often should you practice unrelated word games instead of working with the problem you need a solution to? Let me answer with a question. How often should a basketball player work on strengthening her muscles instead of working on a layup, jump shot, or other more applicable skill?
Take Away: Find a crossword puzzle. But make sure to find one that is easy (if you are new to them). Spend 15 minutes on it. You will find a few answers. The goal isn’t to finish it the goal is to watch the process and ‘record’ the feeling of receiving a solution from your subconscious.
Spreading the Thoughts: Ask a coworker if doing crosswords well is a sign of intelligence or a path to intelligence. If they equivocate or say it depends, share this post/episode with them.
Next Post: Surfing to Sleep
For more information on how to help yourself and people in your organization learn how to access solutions more regularly, please go to:
Website: joeswope-publicspeaker.com
Youtube: youtube.com/@joeswope-publicspeaker
Podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/joe-swope
Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/joe-swope-speaker
References
Irvine, W. B. (2015). Aha! The Moments of Insight that Shape Our World. Oxford University Press.
The Creativity Algorithm 
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