The Rise of the New Group-Think - Thoughts on a New York Times Piece

A Facebook friend posted this link.http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/opinion/sunday/the-rise-of-the-new-groupthink.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&smid=fb-share


This resonates with me. As someone who absolutely loves going off and creating, mentating, working, by myself, I got a lot out of the piece. I agree that the solo artist might not be ultimately as productive, in far-reaching, world-shaking efforts, as when he or she is involved in net-based, collaborative projects. Open source projects, in particular, benefit greatly via the group-think approach. Such projects are outside my own scope, however, and I prefer the epiphanies that solitude brings.

My preference for solitude is the cafe, where I can be among strangers, a human throng of activity, the random sights, sounds, and smells percolating in the background, provides an engine to my creativity. I am not bothered by commotion, but rather, the din is my vitamins. It's best if I know no one there, other than the casual "Hiya" of regulars and baristas, so I can concentrate. My solitude is mental versus physical.

Though introverted, during creative times, I appreciate and even like humans, even if I am not socially among them. Like the appreciation of good film acting, when not around the actors themselves, I appreciate the efforts and accomplishments, of my fellow hairless apes, even if I don't happen to be inhaling their dander at the moment.