Creative people are better (or worse) at rationalizing. I discussed this on year ago, but now Scientific American has a podcast interview with Ariely.
I wrote then:
"Perhaps I am using my creativity to rationalize unethical behavior, but I wonder if we are seeing a rebellion against artificial deadlines and rules that are arbitrary and not-so-meaningful outside of school. If an explanation for the rules that the student felt made sense were offered, perhaps they would be less likely to cheat."
And lately, I have been wondering about driving in Korea. I will be leaving soon, so I have been pondering what I might have learned during my time here. My thinking here in trying to defend the habit of many Korean drivers running red lights is that the drivers don't have much faith in the good planning of city governments and civil engineers. In the past, Korea was ruled by Japan, then by several dictators. It has been strongly and clearly democratic in my time here, but retains a great deal of corruption. Disobeying laws was a means of fighting illegally-held power.
I cannot make myself run a red light, but I often feel comfortable traveling faster than the speed limit on highways.
See also: The Real Evil Genius
A Caption Contest!
Kushibo hasn't had many bites in his contest offering, but here it is. The photo is of Kim Jong-il lying in state and if ever a dead man was worthy of mockery, it is Kim Jong-il.
Look at the picture, then turn off your computer and go for a hike. Natural Settings and Tech Break boost creativity. I enjoy walking outside and find myself full of ideas when I do so. Then I have trouble remembering them all when I get back to my computer.
Spark Your Imagination. For Christmas, my mother gave my son a set of Super Story Starters. The prompts include a text idea and picture, making it great for ESL students and young readers. Here are two:
"You are zipping down a new slide in the playground. Anything or any place in the world can be at the bottom. What is it?"
"What does a pirate order at an ice cream shop? What does he order for his crew?"
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