A-Z Popular Blog Creativity Search »
Creativity
 Advertisements

4 Examples of Creative Tension

 , updated on
I must confess that I am not afraid of the word "tension."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.
Creative tension is the idea that disagreement and discord can produce more creative ideas and outcomes. The following are illustrative examples.

Intellectual Diversity

Creative tension suggests that teams with diverse opinions and intellectual backgrounds may produce creative results. Conversely, institutions that restrict membership to like-minded individuals or suppress unpopular opinions may stagnate creatively.

Tolerance for Disagreement

Environments where disagreement such as lively debate are viewed as healthy and constructive. Conversely, institutions that seek to protect everyone's feelings or that enshrine group harmony such as saving-face as a core principle would be less creative.

Pessimism

Creativity is often associated with optimism. The theory of creative tension suggests that pessimism may play a role. For example, a pessimistic evaluation of how far you are from your goals may spark more ideas than a warm optimistic feeling that everything will probably work out wonderfully.

Influence

Creative tension can be used to describe how individuals or groups with little formal authority in a particular context can rise to generate positive change by creating a sense of tension around an issue.
Overview: Creative Tension
Type
Definition
The idea that disagreement and discord can produce creative ideas and outcomes.
Related Concepts

Creativity

This is the complete list of articles we have written about creativity.
Abstraction
Analogy
Brainstorming
Constraints
Coolness
Creative Ability
Creative Class
Creative Direction
Creative Economy
Creative Expression
Creative Feedback
Creative Hobbies
Creative Industries
Creative Intuition
Creative Leadership
Creative Process
Creative Productivity
Creative Quality
Creative Spark
Creative Tension
Creative Things
Creative Thinking
Creative Value
Creative Works
Creativity Theory
Divergent Thinking
Idea Generation
Ideas
Ideation
Imagination
Improv
Improvisation
Intellectual Diversity
Inventive Step
Journals
Magical Thinking
Metaphysical Conceit
Motley Crew
Non-Obviousness
Originality
Play
Preserving Ambiguity
Reverse Brainstorming
Serendipity
Storytelling
Thought Experiment
Unlearning
Work Creativity
Worldbuilding
More ...
If you enjoyed this page, please consider bookmarking Simplicable.
 

Creativity

Examples of the creative process.

Ars Longa

The definition of ars longa, vita brevis.

Creative Industries

A list of creative industries.

Motley Crew Principle

An overview of the motley crew principle.

Idea Generation

A definition of idea generation with examples.

Knowledge Capital

An overview of knowledge capital with examples.

Creative Block

A definition of creative block with examples.

Intellectual Diversity

A definition of intellectual diversity with examples.

Creative Direction

A definition of creative direction with examples.

Influencing Techniques

A few basic influencing strategies.

Internalization vs Compliance

The two ways that people accept ideas.

Message Framing

An overview of message framing as an influencing technique.

Cultural Capital

A definition of cultural capital with examples.

Touching Base

A definition of touch base with examples.

Positive Criticism

A definition of positive criticism with examples.

Business Storytelling

The common types of business story.

Consensus Building

The definition of consensus building with examples.

Credibility

The definition of credibility with examples.
The most popular articles on Simplicable in the past day.

New Articles

Recent posts or updates on Simplicable.
Site Map